PORT TOWNSEND — Seventeen East Jefferson County women have received a total of $20,500 in scholarships and $900 in awards from the Port Townsend branch of the American Association of University Women.
The awards, presented through the AAUW’s nonprofit arm, the University Women’s Foundation of Jefferson County, were given to the women May 17.
Sally Shaw-Dankert was awarded the $9,000 Elmira K. Beyer Endowed Scholarship for continuing education.
She wants to teach middle school math in Jefferson County.
She studied to be a teacher from 1988 to 1990. Three years ago, she transferred her old credits to Peninsula College and completed her associate degree.
Since then, she has carried a full-time course load at the online Western Governors University while working full time as a paraeducator.
In 2015, she will have to forego her employment in order to student-teach for the required 12 weeks.
During that time, both of her daughters will be in college.
Endowed scholarship
Jennifer Grauberger received a $2,500 endowed scholarship.
This fall, she will be a senior at Willamette University in Salem, Ore., where she is majoring in chemistry.
She has a 3.97 grade-point average and passed the Medical College Admission Test in the top 10 percent of national scores, the AAUW said.
Grauberger intends to attend medical school at the University of Washington and become a pediatrician in the Puget Sound area.
Kate Miller, who attends Antioch College in Seattle, received one of two $2,500 non-endowed scholarships.
She is studying to receive a master’s degree in environment and community with a focus on sustainable food systems and food education.
She was in the first graduating class of the Jefferson County WSU Extension Farm Innovation, Education & Leadership Development program, and the following season went on to coordinate the program as a volunteer.
Her goal is to bring children together with healthy food and deepen their connection with the outdoors and the cycle of the growing seasons.
Vanessa Ridgway, the other $2,500 non-endowed scholarship recipient, is about to begin work to complete her bachelor’s in legal studies while pursuing licensing as a limited license legal technician, a new state program that provides a more affordable option for legal help.
From 1992 to 1996, she studied law at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia.
She will be able to transfer up to 90 credits from those studies to her online bachelor’s program through Dominican University.
Two area high school seniors, Rebecca Ramsey of Port Townsend High School and Heather Hamilton of Chimacum High School, each received $1,500 to begin college.
Both plan to attend Seattle University.
Last year’s high school scholarship recipients, Andrea Bell and Kirsten Mounts, each received $500 toward their sophomore year in college.
STEM awards
Nine area young women who excel in science, technology, engineering and math — referred to as STEM — at their high schools were nominated by teachers to receive $100 Amazon gift certificates.
Chimacum High School students receiving STEM awards were Rachel Lynn Castaneda, science; Neena Milton, technology; and Megan Dukek, math.
Quilcene students are Janelle Johnson, technology; and Megan Weller, math.
A third Quilcene student received the award in science. She is not identified because the AAUW did not receive the signed form permitting her name to be used, members said.
Port Townsend students are Rose Gitelman, science; Patricia Reeves, technology; and Natalie Toews, math.
At the time of the scholarship and awards meeting, only two of the four girls going into eighth grade who will attend Tech Trek, a weeklong STEM summer camp, had been selected.
Their names and schools will be announced at a later date.
Funding for the scholarships and awards comes from earnings from the Elmira K. Beyer endowment fund, proceeds from AAUW Kitchen Tour and other AAUW fundraising events, and from donations made by individuals and local businesses.
Power Trip Energy and Emerald Reed Co. Inc. have donated enough to support a fourth Tech Trek student.
