Program celebrates 20-year anniversary and more than
$1 million awarded
Ashland Community Health Foundation (ACHF) is pleased to announce that 17 worthy candidates have been awarded scholarships ranging from $6,000 to $18,000 for the 2022-2023 academic year from The William G. and Ruth T. Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship. To be eligible, students must be pursuing registered nursing degrees at Oregon Health Science University (OHSU) at Southern Oregon University (SOU) or at Rogue Community College (RCC), and intend to work in the Rogue Valley after graduation.
We would like to congratulate each of the recipients on their significant achievement: Amara Anderson, Samantha Blommel, Kylie Edmaiston, Elena Feliz, McKenna Frison, Amy Hickey, Abigail Kollar, Adriana Lunoak, Anjuli Mcnamara, Jessie Nichols, Edith Ramirez, Roger Reeves, Shanae Roberts, Liza Salazar, Robin Sanchez, Hanna Whitescorn, and Polly Yang.
Each year the foundation scholarship selection committee receives applications from qualified students for the prestigious scholarship. After thoughtful deliberation, this year the committee was pleased to be able to award more than $175,000 in scholarships to selected students—the largest amount ever granted since the inception of the program. A special contribution from the Evans Family, an estate gift from Barbara Field and the late Sidney Field, and an anonymous donor significantly increased the number of scholarships awarded this year.
Additional awards will be made to the 17 students in the graduating class of RCC’s Licensed Practical Nursing Program in late September. The scholarship covers the cost of state licensing and exam fees for graduates so they can move swiftly into the workforce.
It was always important to Ruth Evans to help others, which is why she served as an Army nurse in World War II. Early on, Ruth recognized the need for nurses and the importance of education. In 2002, Ruth wanted to help meet the local need for nurses and to honor Bill, her late husband of 55 years, who was a family practice physician. With the help of her daughters, Peg and Barb, she established the William G. and Ruth T. Evans Endowed Nursing Scholarship at ACHF.
Twenty years later more than $1 million has been awarded in scholarships and supported 308 local students. Through their success and service in the Rogue Valley, she has touched countless lives. Perhaps you have met one of the scholarship recipients, at your bedside in the hospital, in your doctor’s office, or caring for a family member at a long-term care facility.
According to her daughters Peg and Barb, “If Ruth were here today, she would be amazed. She would not have imagined the scholarship fund could offer this amount of money to this number of people.”
Ruth passed away in 2013 leaving a bequest to ACHF that ensures her legacy will live on in perpetuity.
Please join us in congratulating the recipients this year on their significant achievement.
