Whatcom View: WCC Foundation scholarships have profound impact on students

What are the most important choices you’ll make in your life? I’ve taken stock and, for me, choosing education to empower my life and choosing to give to others are at the top of the list. I believe these choices have a profound impact not only on personal happiness but on the health of our community. Through the Whatcom Community College Foundation, I found a rewarding opportunity to move both convictions to action by establishing a scholarship.

I credit the 2010 WCC Foundation Donor Appreciation Breakfast for the inspiration. I was moved by the stories shared by scholarship recipients and by the students’ sincere desire to make a better life for themselves and their families through education. Soon after, I established the Pratt Karasik scholarship in memory of my husband and in honor of our shared commitment to education.

Inspired by my own career in science and engineering, my scholarship is awarded to students who are pursuing a career in science, technology, engineering or math. This year’s recipient, Elizabeth (Liz) Winter, is a stunning example of the caliber of students who attend Whatcom. Liz was working service industry jobs but knew they would never provide the well-paying career she wanted for her family nor the ability to make a difference in the world. In 2012, she enrolled at Whatcom, ranked among the nation’s top community colleges.

After graduating next spring with her associate in science transfer degree, Liz will apply to the University of Washington’s civil and environmental engineering program. She wants to own an engineering firm focused on sustainable design, specifically with Native American tribal projects that engage youth. Liz is married with three children, two of whom have special needs. Her husband works a late shift so they can share childcare duties. Despite these demands, she has been able to maintain close to a perfect GPA. The scholarship allows her to avoid student loans and to focus on her studies rather than working a part-time job.

Determined students like Liz are taking whatever steps necessary because they know a college education is critical to create their best lives. According to a 2014 Pew Research Center report, on virtually every measure of economic well-being and career attainment — from personal earnings to job satisfaction to the share employed full time — college graduates are outperforming their peers with less education. The disparity in economic outcomes between college graduates and those with a high school diploma or less has never been greater in the modern era.

Nearly 80 percent of WCC students are local high school graduates; 41 percent are the first in their family to attend college. Donations to the WCC Foundation have never been more important; last year, the foundation provided over $250,000 in scholarships to more than 300 students.

There are many people like me who have chosen to support the WCC Foundation. Together, our donations form a pool of resources. For Whatcom’s promising students, the difference between staying in school and dropping out could be the cost of books. To me, that’s not acceptable. I can give a little to ensure that these talented students with new voices can achieve their educational goals. I’ve also discovered that a scholarship is more than a monetary investment in WCC’s students. It’s also a tangible way to show students we believe in them.

Liz tells me that, when she’s able, she will pay it forward. Hearing that confirms the compounding effect of the choice I made. In turn, I’m rewarded by the students who enrich my life by so bravely committing to make a difference in theirs and, ultimately, in the lives of others.

I can’t wait to sit with Liz at this year’s Donor Appreciation Breakfast and to hear how her final year at Whatcom is going. I invite you to witness our story at the WCC Foundation website. And, then, I hope you will contact the foundation to see how you can support the outstanding students at WCC. It’s one of the most fulfilling and impactful choices I’ve ever made.

This story was originally published October 24, 2015 at 5:01 PM with the headline "Whatcom View: WCC Foundation scholarships have profound impact on students."