For the Beachcomber

During the last week of May each year, this community encourages Vashon’s graduating seniors to continue their post-secondary education by presenting scholarships at the annual Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation’s Awards Ceremony at Vashon High School. While there is discussion in the community about who we are, what we do and how we do it, we thought we’d share with you some of our history and our process. 

Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation (VCSF) was founded in 1986 by a group of parents and community members. In 1990 VCSF affiliated with the national Scholarship America program, a highly regarded nonprofit organization. 

As a chapter of Dollars for Scholars, VCSF belongs to a national network of more that 1,200 grassroots, community-based, volunteer-driven scholarship foundations. All chapters share one common theme: raising funds in the community for the benefit of local students. The mission of VCSF is to raise and award money for post-secondary education to any graduating Vashon Island School District senior who completes a scholarship notebook. VCSF facilitates the process whereby the scholarship award money is distributed.  

We begin the scholarship process in the fall by making a presentation about the application notebook to every VISD senior. At this time we explain that they may choose to apply for scholarship money by submitting a notebook that includes their resume and transcript, two letters of recommendation, a personal essay and four collage pages. The students receive the guidelines and a timeline of the process along with the three ring binder that they will submit.

Concurrently, we reach out to businesses, nonprofit organizations, families and individuals for donations. A gift of $350 or more entitles the donor to name the award, specify selection criteria and present the award at the spring ceremony. Once the students have submitted their notebooks in early January, we allow the nonprofits, memorials and individual donors to read them and personally select the student who best matches the criteria for their scholarship money. Additionally, an independent selection panel of teachers and community members reads all of the notebooks and matches the remaining scholarships and students. 

The VCSF committee then uses money that we have raised through our annual “Spell It!” community spelling bee to fill in any gaps and to be sure that every applicant who submits a scholarship notebook receives at least one award. Since the award amounts vary from $100 to $4,000, some students receive several awards while others receive only one.  

Our annual awards ceremony in May allows our generous donors to share the stage with scholars of promise and potential, who will represent Vashon in the wider world. We require every recipient to attend the ceremony and stay for its duration out of respect for the generosity of our community and for the hard work and accomplishments of their peers. 

This year 184 awards, totaling $123,150, were distributed to 94 graduating seniors who chose to complete scholarship notebooks. Since 1986 VCSF has awarded more than $1.75 million. We encourage you to pick up a copy of this year’s award ceremony program at Vashon Bookshop to read about our generous donors and talented scholarship recipients. 

Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation is sometimes confused with the newly established Vashon Schools Foundation (VSF). VSF raises money for Vashon Island School District’s kindergarten through 12th-grade program. VCSF celebrates the accomplishments of our young graduates and helps in the next step of their education, be that trade school, military service, community college or four-year college. 

Our goal is to help seniors realize their dreams, focus their abilities and plan for their future. Anders Blomgren, a 1993 recipient and VHS teacher said, “The whole process — creating notebooks, selecting recipients, writing recommendations and awarding scholarships — is very special and makes Vashon Island unique. It shows that our community cares about local students and their futures.” 

— Mary Andrews and Barbara Gustafson are board members of Vashon Community Scholarship Foundation.