CAL announces scholarships

SANDPOINT — The women of the Community Assistance League were at it again on Tuesday morning, giving away money to worthy recipients. This time, they awarded $33,000 in scholarships to 31 high school seniors and six college students.

Sherry Ennis, the current chair of the CAL scholarship committee, said the awards would help recipients pay for their college educations and/or higher education.

"A couple girls are (also) doing flight training," she said.

Less than half the honorees were able to attend the awards event due to summer jobs and other obligations. However, each of the students present at the Columbia Bank conference room Tuesday told an audience of CAL volunteers and parents about his or her college plans.

Isaac Nelson, recent Sandpoint High School graduate, plans to attend Walla Walla University this fall to study biomedical engineering, and then attend Loma Linda University for a physical therapy degree. SHS grads Danika Moore and Kasey Stearns are headed to the University of Idaho in Moscow to study education, Moore in math and Stearns in elementary education. The latter is also planning to take courses in technical theater.

"Technical theater has to do with everything backstage," she said. "I also want to come back (to Sandpoint) and teach at Sagle, where I went to school."

Katelyn Bruhjell plans to attend Davidson College in North Carolina to study neurosciences, a decision that she attributes in part to a chance encounter with someone she met on the street.

"The most important person in my life (was) a schizophrenic stranger," she told the group.

Annie Slippy, a home-school graduate, will attend Central Washington University in the fall. Meanwhile, she will complete training to obtain her private pilot's license. She said becoming a commercial pilot is among her future dreams.

Derek Lowry, recent Clark Fork High School valedictorian, plans to do his undergraduate work at the University of Idaho and go on to earn a master's degree. Jacob Graham of SHS will attend Western Washington University while Nathaniel Dillon will pursue his interest in clean energy at the University of Idaho.

Ian Barns will study medicine, SHS grads Justin and Greg Marks will attend separate colleges in pursuit of music degrees, and classmate Genevieve Price will study education at North Idaho College.

Gavin Klein plans to earn his EMT certification at NIC and then study to be a helicopter mechanic, while Sarah Wells will head to the University of Washington and work toward a pre-med degree. Corinne McClellan plans to study at Brigham Young University, taking her second year off for mission work, while Carly Orr will study online for an aerospace science degree and attend flight school.

Bruhjell spoke for all the students, both absent and present, when she told the roomful of philanthropic women,

"This scholarship will definitely help me achieve my goals. Thank you."