Scholarships Change Lives

Recent COCC Foundation Scholarship Recipients Give Thanks

Receiving a Central Oregon Community College Foundation scholarship changed my life. For two years, I have been the grateful recipient of a scholarship that is allowing me to pursue my goals of graduating college and opening my own business.  

I am a widowed mother with two kids who I am solely supporting. COCC is helping me better my education, so that I can go out and not only get a better job, but also a fulfilling career.  For three years, I have been studying Business Management and Marketing and this spring will graduate with an Associate Degree. Being on my own with kids has taught me how to deal with adversity and to know that no matter how bad it gets, it will eventually always get better. There is always the silver lining in the dark clouds as long as you keep looking up. I want to show my children that as long as you are trying and moving forward, then you are doing the right thing.

I love COCC! It has done so much for me and I love coming to campus as much for the learning as for the friendly atmosphere and beautiful surroundings. I have worked hard to keep on track with my goals and have made the Dean’s List every term since enrolling at COCC—I want to show my children how to live a responsible and fulfilling life.

I so appreciate what the scholarship I received means. It will not only benefit me, it will also benefit my children. The support in this community is amazing and deeply appreciated by my family. I am excited that once I have my degree, I will be able to not only support my children better, but will also be able to give back to the community that has given so much to me. -Cindy Parren    

I would like to sincerely thank you for your selfless generosity in helping me and other like me accomplish our future goals. I never thoughts I would become a college student. Aside from the incredible costs, I had my children at an early age and put the opportunity of college in the back of my mind in order to raise my sons and hopefully get them to college.

I would like to sincerely thank you for your selfless generosity in helping me and other like me accomplish our future goals. I never thoughts I would become a college student. Aside from the incredible costs, I had my children at an early age and put the opportunity of college in the back of my mind in order to raise my sons and hopefully get them to college.

 I am now 36 years old and my oldest son is 17, we are attending COCC together! He graduated early and is heading in a positive direction which is all I had hoped for. Thank you, so, so much for making this a possibility and a reality for me and my family. -Heather Heinz   

I am very grateful to the donors of the Foundation scholarships. I received a letter informing me that I have been selected to receive a renewal scholarship for this academic year and words cannot express how grateful I am to receive a financial blessing of this magnitude. I have worked very hard to maintain a high GPA at COCC over the past year and a half and I am very grateful that my dedication and persistence are paying off.

Receiving an award like this provides reassurance that I made the right decision when choosing to enroll in college. The Foundation donors have helped me immensely along my academic journey, both financially and by always reminding me that hard work and drive pay off. I am extremely proud to receive this renewal scholarship and in turn hope to make you proud as well.

I am now more determined than ever to prove that I am indeed worthy of this award. I vow to continue to work hard and I promise you I will not quit until I have reached my goals. My family thanks you, I thank you, and I wish you the absolute best. -Brandon Forseth

I want to offer a most heartfelt gratitude for being honored as one of this year's COCC Foundation Scholarship recipients. I am extremely grateful and know, without a doubt, this gift will help me reach my future goals regarding my education. I am almost finished with my A.A.O.T.-Psychology. I have five children and two grandsons whom I want to model the attitude that, when you reach for the stars, live your life in a way that you are firm, fair, consistent and compassionate, anything is possible. I work very hard to make ends meet so this will be very helpful.

I am a Suicide Prevention Specialist in Warm Springs, Oregon. Native Americans have the highest rate of suicides in the nation. I hope to educate, prevent and intervene with regard to suicide in my community and its surrounding area. I also take on-call first responder crisis counselor job duties regularly to help supplement my income. It takes a toll emotionally, spiritually and at times, physically. However, it is the one thing I am very confident in, and I feel it is a great honor knowing the community can count on me in their time of dire need. I also volunteer at our local Victim's of Crime office where crime victims are assisted, supported and provided necessary services to help families come up with safety plans and healing.

I work diligently to earn top grades, and very organized and make great use of my schedule to make sure I study as needed, have time for self-care and meditation, and even more importantly make time to spend quality time with my children, as we are single parent household and do the best we can to live a healthy, happy life together. I want to thank you again with the utmost sincere gratitude. -Rachel Macy

I want to thank you for your scholarship donation. I am honored and grateful to be one of the recipients of this generous gift, thank you for choosing me!

Life has been hard financially, I am newly married and working graveyard shift two nights a week at Seventh Mountain Resort to try and make ends meet. My husband and I are struggling financially with debts, but are striving to get them paid off. Your scholarship will help immensely since it will reduce the amount I owe in loans. Thank you!

Last Winter, I began my Associates degree in Baking and Pastry Arts at Cascade Culinary Institute, along with my husband who is studying for the same degree. Together our passion for baking and food have helped us succeed and fly through the year with soaring colors. In July we volunteered for two weeks at the World Team Pastry Championships and it changed our lives forever. We met so many wonderful people in the industry and have had amazing opportunities as a result. I am excited for this academic year and cannot wait to learn more about this amazing career path. In the future, I hope to be a cake decorator and possibly own my own bakery- so this knowledge will help tremendously.

My husband and I are also part of the Food Artists Club and intend to put many hours into volunteering and helping our community. As a recipient of this wonderful scholarship, I am excited to help out at Meal of the Year, Taste of the Town, and any other fund raising event. -Amber Bertram

I am honored to be one of the recipients of the Foundation renewal scholarship. Thanks to your generous support, my dream can be closer to being a reality. Without scholarship donors like you, there would be many students such as myself that would not be able to pursue the career of their dreams.

I have already begun my undergraduate career as an upcoming junior and my plan is to complete my major in Exercise Science. Working as a volunteer in my community throughout these past two years by helping high school athletes compete in Track and Field, which I enjoy mentoring and coaching. I hope to be able to take part in a high school athletic program as an Athletic Trainer or Strength and Conditioning Coach in the future. I not only have a passion for exercise, but also mentoring other on the subject. Once again, I offer my sincerest thank for your continued generosity. -Jessica Czmowski  

Community Testimonials

Jack McCown
Past COCC Faculty and past COCC Foundation Board Member
"School is not a luxury item for scholarship recipients. It is a means of becoming self-sufficient and providing quality of life for themselves and their families.' Jack continues, 'For teachers that are in direct personal contact with the students, receiving a pledge card in the mail is not merely a tax write off; it is a choice of whether or not to change a life."

John Pinckney
La Pine Ace Hardware
Giving money away helps business. What is wrong with that equation, you might ask? Nothing according to John Pinckney, who owns La Pine Ace Hardware and Building Supply and is a Foundation donor. "My customers see that I am involved. It both inspires them to follow suit and lets them know I am committed to the betterment of the community."

Betsy Skovborg
COCC Foundation Board Member
 "I believe the Foundation is a worthwhile charitable investment. It is one of the most valuable contributions that one could make. By supporting the Foundation, you are supporting students to further their education - students that would not have otherwise been able to. Educated people are vital to a thriving community. My personal goal (as a Foundation Board Member for COCC) is to encourage the younger and newer groups in Bend to become familiar with what an incredible asset the College is to our community, and to get them involved in supporting this resource however they can."

Dr. Paul Eckman
Past COCC Foundation Board Member
Paul, a neurologist in Bend since 1973, recalls the story of his grandfather who immigrated from Finland to Oregon. Despite the fact that Paul's grandfather had no formal education, he was committed to sending each of his five children to college. Paul notes that in his immediate family, all his siblings received graduate degrees in law or medicine. "From no education to graduate education in three generations... this is a tale told over and over again in this country. Community colleges are an important part of today's version of that story."

John Overbay
COCC Foundation Board Member
John Overbay took night classes so he could continue work in the lumber mill during the day. That was in 1952, the year Don Pence, who had been running things on a volunteer basis, was made the first President of the first community college in the state. John Overbay went on to Lewis and Clark College but didn't forget that year at COCC. He co-chaired the college's capital campaign, which raised $6.5 million. Overbay currently serves on the Board of Directors for the College. "I am proud of our home-grown college. We all should be."

Maryanne Freedman
Past COCC Foundation Board Member
"COCC is an important part of Central Oregon and my life! It would be difficult to imagine this wonderful community without it. I have been a part of COCC as a student, an employee, and Foundation Board Member for many years. The college has had such an impact on my life that I truly believe giving of our time and resources impacts students and their dreams to further their education and lives."