Please join us for our annual Celebration of Scholars event in the Rogue River Room of the Stevenson Union at the SOU campus on October 16. Doors open at 5:30 and the program will start promptly at 6:00. The branch has paid for parking, so it is free for all attendees. This year there will be three scholars from SOU, and two from RCC. Appetizers and beverages will be served during the event. Members are encouraged to bring an appetizer to share.

2024 SCHOLARSHIP RECIPIENTS

The scholarships awarded to these five deserving women were applied to their expenses for the 2024-25 academic year. 

Rogue Community College Scholars 

Randi Kearney is an RCC student enrolled in the LPN-RN bridge program. She is set to graduate in Summer 2025 with an Applied Science-Registered Nurse. She worked as a Certified Nursing Assistant at the Rogue Valley Manor before obtaining her Licensed Practical Nurse in the Fall of ’21. Randi has worked in a variety of nursing specialties including Addiction Recovery, Long-term Skilled Nursing, and Cardiac Recovery. She has found a passion for working in mental health as well as teaching. She currently works at Rogue Regional Medical Center in the behavioral health unit and teaches crisis intervention for the nursing professional development team. 

“I had several people throughout my early career working in the automotive industry tell me I would make an amazing nurse, which was crazy to me. Fast forward a decade and I found myself unhappy in my job and wanted a change. I started part-time school in January 2020, with a two-year plan toward becoming a nurse. I soon found myself without a job due to COVID and took that opportunity to go back to school full-time and get my CNA license. I found a passion for caring for others and finally felt fulfilled in my career.”

Kriston Parker is an RCC student in Nursing. This year she graduated from RCC with an Associate Degree in General Education. Recently she completed a certificate in a nursing assistance program and trained in basic life support. She has been involved with Compassionate Presence a pilot project and continued education in, Living with Dying: Grief Readiness in Older Adult Care and Service. Previously, in her home she provided 24/7 care to a family member living with dementia. She regularly donates her time checking in on her elderly neighbors helping them with comfort, daily living and providing a social setting. 

“At two years of age I watched surgeries instead of cartoons. Since then I have been fascinated by the medical realm. Raised by a teen single mom and living a low-income life, I realized later that I too could have a professional career–one that is pandemic proof and provides a better future for my children. Nursing will allow me to contribute back to our community, helping advocate for the elderly and dying. As a Registered Nurse, I want to bring more compassion to the medical field and help provide a better provider to patient ratio with kindness.” 

Southern Oregon University Scholars

Taylor Moody is a graduate student in the Clinical Mental Health Counseling (CMHC) Master’s program at SOU. She is awarded the Judy Yin Shih Scholarship. Taylor is a mixed race, first generation college student pursuing her dreams of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC). Taylor has recently started her internship with Jackson County Mental Health where she works on the Mobile Crisis Team. As a single mother, Taylor is dedicated to maintaining excellent grades, working hard, and being a good example to her two daughters. Taylor volunteers with the BASE Youth program here in Southern Oregon, where her daughters are dedicated members. 

“I was brought up in the public school system in Oakland, CA where it is predominantly African-American and Latinx. Looking back, I now realize the stigma that surrounded mental health issues and the shortfall of mental health care in the black and brown community. Mental health services were something that was rarely sought, though desperately needed. Through years of experience, I have realized that Black and Latinx populations are disproportionately affected by the lack of available mental health resources. My goal is to work with these underserved and underrepresented populations to help close the gap of mental health services for people of color and to provide access to those services for the individuals that need them.”

Tiana Gilliland  is a senior at the SOU Honors College, studying for a Bachelor of Sciences in Healthcare Administration and Business Administration with minors in Health Promotion and Ethics. Tiana is awarded the Wolf-Pizor Family Scholarship. She is a first-generation college student. She studied abroad at the University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom for Philosophy. Tiana is SOU Student Body President, President of both Rotaract and the International Student Association, and Treasurer of the Native American Student Union. She is enrolled in the Shasta Indian Nation and has ancestry in the Powhatan, Cherokee, and Blackfoot tribes. Her plan is to complete a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration and to work in healthcare organizations where she can help her community. 

“I have always been passionate about helping other people and the way I want to do that is by being a healthcare administrator. I have worked at the SOU Student Health and Wellness Center and have interned at Mercy Flights in the finance department. I want to use my knowledge of what I have learned in my healthcare, business, and ethics courses to be able to overall promote the health of my community. It is significant to me that people’s well-being is paid attention to and that more people have access to healthcare.” 

Garima Sharma is a Pre-Nursing and Healthcare Administration senior at SOU. She is awarded the Lang Family Scholarship. Born and raised in India, she is a first-generation college student who has taken full advantage of opportunities at SOU, including four years in student government, Associated Students of Southern Oregon University (ASSOU), serving on the SOU Board of  Trustees, and working various campus jobs, including housing for three years. Currently interning at Mercy Flights, Garima focuses on emergency plans and healthcare improvements. These diverse experiences have deeply influenced her academic and professional path, with a clear goal of becoming a flight nurse in the US Air Force. 

“Growing up in India, where education is a privilege, attending Southern Oregon University has been a dream come true. As the first in my family to go to college, my time at SOU has been transformative. Involvement in Student Government (ASSOU) and serving as a trustee have enriched my leadership skills. Balancing my double majors and minors with campus jobs and an internship at Mercy Flights has been challenging but rewarding. Scholarships have eased my financial burden, allowing me to focus on becoming a flight nurse in the Air Force. I’m grateful for the support and eager to give back to my community.”

New Scholarship in 2024:  ASHLAND HIGH SCHOOL 

Beginning in 2023 – 2024, the Ashland Branch launched a new, annual $2,500 scholarship
award to a graduating senior girl at Ashland High School whose parents did not complete
college. A committee of five oversaw the application and award selection process.

The 2024 winner, the first, was Lainie Carter. Lainie, who will follow two older siblings to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, is as passionate about sports as she is grounded in her Mormon faith. She was varsity captain of the Ashland High School volleyball team for two years, basketball captain her junior year, and a member of the National Honor Society and Key Club. Lainie also coached and taught volleyball skills to younger kids. A youth leader in Ashland’s Church of Jesus Christ and Latter-Day Saints, she finished the church’s four year, daily seminary program for youth ages 14 through 18. At Ashland High School, she earned a 3.7 GPA.

The scholarship was awarded and celebrated in May, both at the high school and at the Ashland
Branch meeting.

AAUW Ashland Scholarship Awards