Inna Shames
Short answer: Whatever you want it to be!
A TWOQC (The Women of Quail Creek) Named Scholarship is a designated scholarship fund that can be named to honor a loved one who has passed or to commemorate an event such as a significant birthday or anniversary. Often, the donor or beloved individual has had a special connection to education or a commitment to promoting educational opportunities for underserved populations, particularly women. Sometimes this connection is a spouse or close relative active in TWOQC, while other times it has to do with the importance of education in the life of that individual.
The Women of Quail Creek Scholarship program offers the opportunity to create a Named Scholarship as a donation by a single donor or a group of donors. It can also be created as a fund to which others are invited to contribute.
Begun in 2016 with just two scholarships of $1,000 each, in 2025 the TWOQC Scholarship Program was able to award 28 scholarships totaling $98,000. Since inception, a total of $344,700 in scholarship money has been awarded to a total of 128 recipients.
There are three types of scholarships:
• HS: Scholarships for young women graduating from Rio Rico, Sahuarita, or Walden Grove High Schools and continuing to college or technical school;
• PATH: Scholarships for young women who received a HS Scholarship as seniors and need financial assistance to continue their second year of post high-school education; and
• AWE: Scholarships for women over 21 resuming their education to acquire degrees or certification.
The Women of Quail Creek is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization, so any donation made to this worthy cause is fully tax deductible! And taxes are top of mind this time of year as we file. Many of us are old enough to have an RMD (Required Minimum Distribution) on our IRAs, so you might want to talk to your financial advisor about creating a TWOQC Named Scholarship directly from your RMD to reduce your tax burden.
And think about including a TWOQC Named Scholarship in your estate planning. A couple living in Quail Creek recently made TWOQC Scholarships a beneficiary of their estate, and here’s why: “My husband and I are strong believers in education. We want to provide an opportunity for those who have a desire for an education but do not have the financial means to do so …” and they understand that women are particularly likely to be caught in a bind of having determination but not the means. “We firmly believe in a ‘yes, you can’ mindset … determination and perseverance can turn goals into reality, and when women have both the desire and the tenacity to succeed, opportunities like TWOQC Scholarships … can be truly transformative.”
For more information about the TWOQC Scholarship program or to arrange a donation, please contact Deb Melton, Director of Scholarships, at scholarships@womenqc.com.