SOU Foundation Awards Scholarships to Single Mothers

The Columbia Pacific Foundation creates three $3,000 scholarships for single moms
(Ashland, Ore.) — The SOU Foundation awarded three new Columbia Pacific Foundation Scholarships this month—funds that will help three single mothers attend college.
Business administration junior Daniella Bivens (Grants Pass) and graduate students Johanna Morris, a special education student (Klamath Falls) and interdisciplinary studies student Kathleen Gamer (Ashland) each received a $2,000 Columbia Pacific scholarship, which was then matched by $1,000 from the SOU Foundation.
The competitive scholarship was created for single mothers attending SOU full time with a minimum 3.0 GPA. Applicants had to answer essay questions and submit a letter of recommendations. A total of 30 applied.

“My thesis work is extremely demanding, so having a few less financial worries about whether you can pay the rent is beyond wonderful,” said Gamer. “Receiving this financial help means that I can deliver my full attention to tackling my academic challenges to the very best of my ability.”

Morris and Bivens shared her sentiments, acknowledging how important the financial assistance is to both of them.

“I am so grateful for this wonderful gift,” said Morris. “Being a single mom is very challenging and this scholarship will make it that much easier for me to get back on my feet once I have completed grad school.”

Bivens said as a “young woman who grew up in poverty, I know how important it is to provide a safe, fulfilling childhood for my children. My passion for helping others and my three girls is what drives me to push myself to reach great heights.”
The Columbia Pacific Foundation, based in Vancouver, Washington, was founded by Robert and Gay MacLellan, former owners of Pacific Coast Restaurants.

“I was inspired to start Columbia Pacific when I realized that many of my employees were hard-working, single mothers who struggled to make ends meet and were also attending college,” said Robert MacLellan. “Offering short-term financial assistance offsets the expense of textbooks and tuition, better assuring their futures.”

The Columbia Pacific Foundation has been supporting qualifying SOU students for the past three years with the mission to increase the number of adult, working mothers who are able to successfully complete a college education and emerge with the skills and knowledge necessary to succeed in a global economy.

“The three women who received this scholarship are tenacious, driven and extremely intelligent,” said Vice President for Development, Sylvia Kelley. “They are excellent representatives for SOU and Columbia Pacific Foundation and are going to make a name for themselves when they graduate.”