Aleah Diaz (center), recipient of the Mildred R. Foard Memorial Scholarship, with her mentors Margie Barber (left) and Mary Greer (photo by Lois Haglund)
Jamie Farmer (left), recipient of a Kimberly France Memorial Scholarship, with her mentor Jean Ferguson (photo by Lois Haglund)
Judy White
Each of the last several years, The Women Of Quail Creek (TWOQC) Scholarship Program has received scholarships funded in memory of a family member or friend. Honoring someone in that way gives new possibilities to a young woman as she seeks to continue her education. Indeed, a memorial scholarship can change a life. Donating a memorial scholarship is tax deductible; TWOQC is a 501(c)(3) organization.
In 2023 TWOQC awarded six memorial scholarships: five $3,500 Women in Transition (WIT) scholarships given to women returning to college after having to interrupt their post-high school education, and one $2,500 memorial scholarship awarded to a graduating high school senior. Some scholarships were donated in their entirety by a single donor, and others were funded by a number of donors.
Two local women were awarded Kimberly France Memorial Scholarships, honoring a longtime Quail Creek resident who passed away in 2022. Both recipients are moms and employed full time by the Sahuarita Unified School District. Jamie Farmer, administrative secretary at Walden Grove High School, is finishing a bachelor’s degree in social work at Northern Arizona University. Becky Hill is an elementary teacher pursuing a master’s degree in reading at Grand Canyon University to better equip her to support students with reading issues such as dyslexia.
For a second year, a Quail Creek resident donated a scholarship honoring her mother, Mildred R. Foard. This year the Foard Memorial Award was presented to Aleah Diaz. Already an accomplished pastry chef, Diaz is entering a Culinary Arts program at Pima Community College (PCC) and will pursue a career in nutrition and working against food waste.
Quail Creek residents donated two other WIT scholarships in memory of friends. The Virginia Kraft Memorial Scholarship was donated in memory of another QC resident who also passed away in 2022. It was awarded to Janae Peats who is finishing a program at PCC in information technology to become a support specialist addressing issues in cybersecurity. The Marilyn Staples Memorial Scholarship honors a longtime friend and mentor of a QC resident. That award went to Victoria Dyer who is working to complete a doctorate in nursing at University of Arizona (U of A) while continuing to work part time as a flight nurse.
A Rio Rico High School senior is the recipient of a memorial scholarship named for Margaret Morris. Two scholarships were donated in her memory a year ago, and friends and relatives donated funds for another scholarship again this year, awarded to Kazandra Navarro. Kazandra will be one of the first in her family to get a college degree. She will pursue a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice at U of A. Her goal is to return to her hometown to help make it a safe place for people to live and to establish a foundation that will support the needs and rights of children in foster care.
These scholarship awards are helping women achieve diverse goals. All of them, though, are focused on serving their communities, a key consideration in their selection to receive these awards.