This year’s Vashon High School seniors face greater costs than ever before as they pursue post-secondary education opportunities. Current estimates place the average annual expense of public university tuition at $15,000, with private college tuition assessed at easily two to three times this figure. Over the past 30 years, college costs have quadrupled, presenting tremendous challenges for high school graduates and their families.

Next spring, Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation (VCSF) will celebrate three decades of success in providing scholarship funds for Vashon High School seniors. As a nonprofit organization, VCSF has generated financial support each year by actively engaging community groups and individuals in donating money for VHS graduates to use toward college education. The awards distributed to seniors have contributed significantly to offsetting the rising costs of post- high school programs. In May, VCSF awarded more than $150,000 in scholarships to 102 VHS graduates.

The majority of seniors graduating through the Vashon Island School District choose each year to complete a scholarship notebook. Full-time students at VHS, as well as those in Running Start, StudentLink and FamilyLink seniors are invited to take part in this process. Every student who completes a notebook using the process outlined by VCSF members is awarded scholarship money. VCSF is committed to furthering the goals of our district’s graduates, now and in the future.

Established in 1986, VCSF was formed by a group of community volunteers whose purpose was to help further the goals of VHS graduates by raising money for scholarships. Generous donations have been made by families, individuals and groups and have been generated by special events such as VCSF’s Spelling Bee. Longtime donors include Vashon Education Association, J. Matthew’s Memorial, Rotary, Thriftway, Health Center Volunteers/Granny’s Attic, Fair Isle Animal Clinic and Vashon Pharmacy, along with many others. Original committee members celebrated 29 graduates from the class of 1987 and distributed approximately $12,000 in scholarships that spring. More than $2 million has been distributed by the Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation since 1987.

Original VCSF members included Susie Kirschner, Beth Robinson, Jan Solandros, Pat Minier, Colleen Sherlock, Berdie Krimmel, Andrea Aldrich, Norma Dunn, Marcia Arthur, Paul Macapia, Nancy Weinstein and Carol Rice. The committee’s outreach to Vashon Island community members during the 1986-1987 year was very successful. Thanks to many generous donors, financial awards benefited every senior who chose to complete a notebook, and the committee’s dream was realized. The first annual scholarship ceremony found donors, committee members and students celebrating the efforts of VCSF.

Thirty years later, students still remember the first ceremony and being awarded scholarship monies.

“I vividly recall that this process forced me to go out and ask for recommendation letters, which built self-confidence. I realized how much I’d accomplished personally and academically, even with the jobs I’d held throughout high school,” Jennifer Myers Hammer, VHS class of ’87 student, said.

As education costs rise, financial help for graduates becomes increasingly important. Now, as in the past, 100 percent of all donations made to the Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation is applied toward graduates’ choice of post- high school programs, including trade schools, community colleges and public and private universities. VCSF’s commitment is to make a difference in the future lives of our graduating seniors.

In this, our 30th year, we celebrate the generosity of our Vashon Island community.

— Linda Mather is the president of the VCSF board.