Your Support Matters
Scholarships help students reduce student loan debt, open doors to higher education, and recognize and reward achievement. Your gift through a scholarship can bridge that gap, empowering a student to achieve their dreams and change the world. In the 2023-2024 academic year, 604 scholarship recipients received $1.8 million in scholarships.
Scholarship Stories
Sophia Tribelhorn
—Sociology and Anthropology, ’24
“I grew up in Colorado and was drawn to SOU because of its community-based learning opportunities. As a member of the Anthropology department I have developed a deep passion for local history and material culture, encouraging me to pursue a career in museum work. My work with SOU’s archaeology laboratory and the local historical society has enabled me to engage with the history of Southern Oregon and make meaningful connections within the community. The scholarship I received allowed me to continue pursuing these passions in an academic setting and pushed me closer to meeting my professional goals.”
Vanessa Vega
—MA in Education, ’24
“I was born and raised in Medford. I am the first generation in my family to go to college and I am a proud Mexican-Chicana. Pursuing a Master’s Degree is something I never thought I could do because of financial reasons. With the help of these scholarships, I have relieved the stress and worry of figuring out how to pay for school. If it hadn’t been for the scholarships I received, I would not be where I am today. Now, I will be the first in my family to receive a Master’s Degree and achieve my dream of becoming a Spanish teacher.”
Jack Fecteau
—Chemistry, ’24
“I grew up in Bend, Oregon and decided to go to Southern Oregon University to pursue Chemistry as well as play soccer as a collegiate athlete. I am an Honors Scholar as well as a member of the SOU Black and Red Crew of Student-Athletes. The Julian Battaile Scholarship, as well as other major academic scholarships I have received, have greatly impacted my education and pushed me forward into the field of Nuclear Chemistry, which I plan to study in graduate school.”
Faith Lumadue
—Psychology, ’26
“I was born and raised in Florence, Oregon. I came to Southern Oregon University because of the intimate and community-based environment and opportunities. I am pursuing a master’s degree in psychology. This is something I would have never imagined possible due to my strict financial limitations. I come from a low income family, and am paying for college completely independently. The scholarships I have received are what have allowed me to pursue my dreams of attending college, and eventually, to become a counselor. I genuinely would not have been able to do any of it, and be where I am today, without such generous help.”
Taylor Moody
—Clinical Mental Health Counseling, ’25
“I grew up in Oakland, California. After graduating high school in 2012, I took a long break from school to raise my children and joined the workforce to provide for my family. I began attending SOU in 2020 and graduated with a B.S. in Psychology in 2022. I am now back at SOU, attending the Clinical Mental Health Counseling Program to pursue my dream of becoming a Licensed Professional Counselor. I chose to attend SOU because of their commitment to my learning with small intimate class sizes and high quality learning opportunities from highly qualified professors. As a single mother attending graduate school, money is an important factor to attaining my education, and I am thankful for the support from local organizations that see my worth as a student and want to help me continue my education to better my life and my children’s lives.”
Garima Sharma
—Healthcare Admin & Pre-Nursing, ’25
“I was born and raised in India, where education isn’t always accessible. As a first-generation college student, I feel incredibly fortunate to study at SOU. Being active in Student Government (ASSOU), serving as a trustee, and working various campus jobs has been life-changing. Thanks to scholarships, I can pursue degrees in Pre-Nursing and Healthcare Administration, with minors in Ethics, Health Promotion, and a certificate in Healthcare Economics. These scholarships have covered tuition, rent, and other costs, allowing me to focus on my studies and internship at Mercy Flights. I dream of becoming a flight nurse in the Air Force and giving back to the community. I’m incredibly grateful for this support.”