The Southwestern region of Oregon has experienced a deep economic turndown, and research demonstrated that the situation was having an impact on high school students in the area. While financial scholarships were available to students pursuing academic degrees, very little help was available to those seeking skilled occupational careers. Therefore it was decided that a scholarship program for Vocational / Technical students would be created.
In 2004 the Scholarship Endowment Matching Challenge project was established to fund Voc/Tec scholarships, with the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund matching gifts from other donors. Leaders from within the community, school alumni, and other interested groups have emerged and been galvanized to contact prospective supporters. Resulting support has been outstanding.
To date (2008) the project has returned over three dollars for every one dollar invested by the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund. Further, supporters have been inspired to fund forty seven scholarships directly. It is the goal of the scholarship project to build the fund to a level where the scholarship needs of Voc/Tec students can be met from the income of the fund into perpetuity. With the Maybelle Clark Macdonald Fund’s help, this goal is attainable.
~Charles E. Carlbom, Vocational / Technical Scholarship Fund at Marshfield High School
