Lewis and Clark scholarship rewards students who’ve overcome life challenges

Being enrolled in special education programs can be hard. Lewis and Clark senior Andrea White knows that firsthand.

“I was in special education when I was younger and I know how it sucks to get taken out of class when all your friends are in there and you’re the only one that gets brought to a room,” she said.

That’s why White wants to be a teacher – a special education teacher.

“I really wanted to be able to connect with kids who are often overlooked by other people,” she said.

On Thursday, June 8, White and two other LC seniors were awarded scholarships to go toward their college education. The awards were passed out in front of the entire school during the end of year convocation Thursday. White plans to study education at Evergreen State College.

The LC Tiger Fund Scholarship was started by the class of 1966, 11 years ago.

The scholarship’s goal is to “recognize an LC senior who has overcome personal and/or life difficulties.” The scholarship is only available for students with a 2.5-3.49 GPA.

“It’s really kind of targeting the kids who had a real difficult time for one reason or another,” said Mark Hussein, a member of the Tiger Fund Scholarship selection committee.

White didn’t receive the Tiger Fund Scholarship, instead she received the Dianne Wynne Alfaro Spirit award – a $500 allotment reserved for seniors who plan to become teachers. The award is in honor of Dianne Wynne Alfaro, a member of the class of 1966 and a lifelong educator.

This year two students received the spirit award, White and Kaitlyn Haupt. Normally only one spirit award is given out, but Hussein said there were two deserving applicants, so they raised extra money.

Emerlynne Terrell received the $1,000 Tiger Fund Scholarship award.

“Yeah, I almost threw up (when they announced she’d won),” she said. “Because they don’t tell you if you win it until they announce it on stage.”

Terrell is diagnosed with general anxiety. She said her anxiety made school work a struggle. On top of that she was sucked into an unhealthy relationship with a good friend of hers, who was a burgeoning drug dealer. Her anxiety and fear, both for herself and him, pulled her into an unhealthy relationship.

“I mostly just really wanted to help him as a person and I got too invested in him and that in turn just sucked me deeper,” she said.

She added later, “My entire life was being in constant flight or fight.”

Now Terrell plans to study environmental engineering at Western Washington University. She believes that if the world is “sick and dying” then people and their societies will also be unhealthy.

“I really do like helping people,” she said.

The scholarship has established an endowment fund, managed by the Inland Northwest Community Foundation. Hussein said all the scholarship money is raised through donations, most of which come from the class of 1966. However, he emphasized that anyone can contribute.

For more information contact the Inland Northwest Community Foundation.