Made possible by the Barbara Roastingear Oliver Scholarship Fund of ACHF
All twenty students in the inaugural class of Rogue Community College’s Dental Hygiene program will receive a $5,500 scholarship from the Barbara Roastingear Oliver Scholarship fund of Ashland Community Health Foundation totaling $110,000 in awards.
The scholarship was created by Harry Oliver and Barbara Roastingear to support dental health and emergency medical service professions.
Harry Oliver says the inspiration for this special gift to the inaugural class is to honor Barbara’s career as a dental hygienist. She was in the University of New Mexico’s first dental hygiene class in 1963. After being together for 43 years, Barbara passed away in 2023 after a brief illness. They both wanted to give back to their community and, together, made the decision to establish a named scholarship fund with the Ashland Community Health Foundation.
ACHF administers the scholarship which supports future dental health and emergency health professionals who intend to work in the Rogue Valley after graduation.
A local work force shortage persists locally, and a recent report from the State of Oregon Employment Department shows that dental health positions are difficult to fill and are among the top health care occupations that have a high number of vacancies. Health care worker shortages in the area are linked to the COVID-19 pandemic, when many trained providers left the field.
The Barbara Roastingear Oliver Scholarship Fund of ACHF will remove barriers for students who are seeking these high demand positions, and Harry hopes the scholarship inspires people to consider these careers.
