Kent Community Foundation Announces the Johnson-Stoddard-Osness Family Scholarship for STEM Students
Online, May 29, 2014 (Newswire.com) - The Kent Community Foundation announces a new scholarship, the Johnson-Stoddard-Osness Family Scholarship, to be awarded for the first time next month. Created by Jim Osness and his family, the Johnsons, Stoddards and Osnesses, the scholarship will be awarded to a Kent area high school senior to attend college to study science, technology, engineering or math (STEM). Preference will be given to students who will be the first in their families to attend college.
Jim Osness named the scholarship for his family because he saw them struggling to make ends meet throughout their lives without the means to go to college. Osness's parents encouraged Jim and his brother Ralph to pursue a higher education, and they became the first in the family to attend college.
With a background in STEM, Osness wanted to award the scholarship to a STEM student to complement other scholarships awarded by the Foundation and because he thinks STEM is an important area of study.
"I've been fairly successful, and I just want to pass that onto kids who need help," Osness said. (pictured at right, Elinor Johnson Osness, Kent High School 1945)
The scholarship will be awarded annually, with applications being accepted in the spring and the recipient selected by a committee chaired by Osness. The first Osness-Johnson-Stoddard scholarship will be awarded at the Kent Community Foundation's annual awards banquet on Wed., Jun. 4.
"It was generous of Jim Osness to create this scholarship, and we're honored that he chose the Kent Community Foundation to administer it," Lew Sellers, president of the Kent Community Foundation said. "This is a great way for people to give back to the community."
For more information about the Kent Community Foundation or the Osness-Johnson-Stoddard scholarship, visit http://KentCF.com or contact president Lew Sellers at info@kentcf.com.
The awards banquet will be held at ShoWare Center on Wed., June 4 from 11:30 am to 1 pm. Tickets for the awards banquet are $20 for Chamber members (pre-paid), $25 for Chamber members at the door or $30 for non-Chamber members and guests. Tickets can be purchased online at the Kent Chamber website or by phoning 253-854-1770. Please reserve your seat by Wed., May 28.