Dozens fund woman’s college education

Boise State student Jozey Mitcham watches as her cousin Abby Sherbine, a stylist at Kiwi Blue Salon in Boise, designs a fresh look for her graduation from BSU.ISE

Never underestimate the power of a thank-you card.

That’s a lesson Jozey Mitcham, who recently received her diploma from Boise State University, learned early on.

Her attention to handwritten notes sparked a philanthropic community that formed around her and will continue to help other young women.

Mitcham, 24, grew up in Hailey. She graduated with multiple honors and two degrees, one in applied mathematics with a minor in physics, a second in mechanical engineering. Of 60 engineering students, she is among the top three.

She’s taken her Fundamentals of Engineering exam and is confident she’ll pass. That means she’ll be a licensed engineer in a few months, but not before she spends her summer interning at the Best Friends Animal Society, a Utah sanctuary for abused and abandoned animals.

She hopes to make a career using her engineering skills to help animals.

When she received her diploma May 12, celebrators included a group of more than 60 women who have supported her financially and in other ways through her academic career.

Who funded your college education?