Thirty-three graduating seniors from the Class of 2019 earned a combined $83,000 in scholarships from the Brookings-Harbor Scholarship Foundation at the annual Scholarship Awards Reception at 7 p.m. Monday, May 20, in the Brookings-Harbor High School cafeteria. Past BHHS graduates received continuing gifts totaling $101,500 from the foundation, which considers applications from students planning to attend two- or four-year universities, trade schools and other professional training.
In addition, graduates were showered with tens of thousands more in funding from the community to aid them in their future endeavors. Additional scholarships were presented by The Elks Club (BPOE #1934), Brookings Harbor Education Association, Brookings Harbor Lions Club, Coos Curry Electric Cooperative, Garvin Masonic Scholarship, Garvin, Stanhurst Scholarship, HFR - Jim and Colleen Hartsock Scholarship, Indian Creek Fish Hatchery, Pelican Bay Athletic Association, Soroptimist International of Brookings, Rogue Credit Union, Rotary International, and Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation.
Two new scholarships were presented by community members:
The first was from Dr. Jessie Holley (a local veterinarian) and Boyd Allen (a local reporter) memorializing the life of their friend and avid outdoorsman Walter Newell Colbath III.
The second was a scholarship presented by Curry County Board of Realtors.
A representative of Southwestern Oregon Community College (SOCC) was on hand to recognize twelve graduates who had achieved a 3.75 cumulative GPA or higher and to remind them of their earned opportunity to attend the community college free of charge with two-year tuition waiver.
The Class of 2019 is the final class to benefit from the Gear Up Scholarship Grant — with an additional $160,000 available to graduates this year simply for notifying the school of their planned school or training program of attendance.