Judy White
During March, The Women of Quail Creek (TWOQC) Scholarship Committee begins to consider applications. Ever wonder how the donations or other support you’ve provided are administered? The committee deeply feels the responsibility to donors to allocate scholarship funds judiciously and fairly and has developed a rigorous and time-consuming review process.
TWOQC offers scholarships for young women graduating from high school and also Women in Transition (WIT) who are older than 21 and seeking to return to school to complete their education.
For all applicants, an important consideration is the demonstrated need for financial assistance to pursue post-secondary education. In reviewing applications, the committee also looks for evidence of the ability to succeed in the chosen area of study and the persistence to achieve the applicant’s stated goals. Scholarships can be used for study at two- or four-year colleges, as well as vocational programs.
The Scholarship Committee divides itself into two separate groups, one for each of the two categories of application. Committee members in the high school group work closely with high school counselors at Walden Grove, Sahuarita, and Rio Rico High Schools to advertise the scholarships and to gain background information about applicants. After the submission deadline, which is April 2, a review of the applications results in selecting some students to be interviewed at their schools.
Various means are employed to spread the word about the WIT scholarship program, including local print media and, this year, even an appearance on KGVY’s Around the Cracker Barrel radio program. WIT applications are due March 17. Interviews for WIT applicants happen via Zoom to enable all members of the committee to sit in on the interviews and to make it easier for applicants who may be working or have family responsibilities.
Then come the hard choices, because the number of eligible and worthy applicants always exceeds the funds available to award. Thanks to the great support for the Javelina Hoedown and the response from individual donors to a successful fall matching fund challenge, the Scholarship Committee looks forward to being able to offer an even larger number of scholarships this year than in 2023, which was a record year.
Come meet the 2024 recipients at the Scholarship Awards Presentation Program on May 8 at 6:30 p.m. in the Madera Clubhouse.
If you have questions about any of the details of the scholarship selection process, feel free to contact Deb Melton, TWOQC director of scholarships, at [email protected].