Students taking advantage of local scholarship program

Jade Brown is a self-starter.

The 18-year-old Dothan High School graduate is a self-taught Japanese speaker, works weekends at the Bistro downtown and spends a lot of her spare time helping out with events at Dothan Christian Fellowship.

The daughter of a divorced mom of three, Brown is funding a large part of her college education on her own. A new scholarship from the Wiregrass Foundation is helping her.

“I have to pay for all my own stuff,” she said. “My mom likes to stress being independent and being able to handle stuff on your own.”

Earlier this year, the Wiregrass Foundation started a scholarship program for Houston County and Dothan high school graduates that covers up to $800 in costs to attend Wallace Community College which are not covered by other scholarships and grants.  Combined with federal Pell and other grants and scholarships, this program is expected to put college in reach of just about every student in the Dothan/Houston County area.

In its first semester, 142 students applied for the scholarship, 101 qualified and 98 are using it, said Suzanne Monday, assistant director of financial aid.

Thomas Harrison, education director for the Wiregrass Foundation, said a larger-than-expected number of students are taking advantage of the program. Harrison said he expected about 65 students to receive the scholarship this semester.

“It’s not going to bust the budget,” he said. “We’re just pleased we’re going to have such tremendous results.”

The scholarship is designed to benefit the community by helping Wallace College in its mission to provide the area with a well-trained work force that meets the needs of local industry. According to the Council for Adult and Experiential Learning, Alabama is projected to have a shortfall of 110,495 people with the necessary degrees to meet workforce demands. Increasing the number of local college-educated workers will likely give Dothan an advantage over other Alabama communities in attracting business and industry.

Brown is studying to be a radiologist. Her mother is a recent Wallace graduate, and works as a nurse at Southeast Alabama Medical Center.

“I enjoy this school because it’s more home-felt,” she said.