Past Winners

As you can imagine with all the applicants that we receive how hard it is to narrow it down to the winners we have chosen. We strongly believe all our winners will Pay it Forward. Below are the winners to date. To learn more about each winner click on their information.

2010 Winners

	Karli Olson 2010 McMinnville HighSchool Winner In her nomination it was written that, “she has the innate ability to balance her academics, her caring compassion and kindness for others while giving wholeheartedly to her community.” Karli will be attending Oregon State University and studying Pre Med or Political Science.
	Jake Baker 2010 McMinnville HighSchool Winner In his nomination it was written that, along with being a high achiever, Jake has demonstrated that he is willing to sacrifice his own personal time to help others in need. Jake will be attending Western Oregon University.
	Dakota Apke 2010 Yamhill-Carlton HighSchool Winner Dakota will be attending Linfield College for Pre Med. She has volunteered for many service projects including Habitat for Humanity, the soup kitchen, the animal shelter and many others. She is a very focused and determined young woman with an incredible light that shines!
	Nancy Vazquez 2010 Dayton HighSchool Winner Nancy Vazquez. Nancy is attending Western Oregon University next year with plans to be an educator. In her nomination it was written that, “Nancy exemplifies the type of kindness and compassion for others t…hat people strive for and she will no doubt achieve success and give back to her community.”

2009 Winners

Ross Passo 2009 McMinnville Highschool Winner

Ross has so much going on we don’t have the room to list everything. He is an amazingly talented young man. His scholarship is exemplary, his leadership is inspired and motivational, and his dedication to excellence is evident in everything he undertakes. Ross plans to attend Washington University in St. Louis studying philosophy, neuroscience and psychology.

Aimee Palacios 2009 McMinnville High School Winner

Aimee has a contagious smile that glows. Her desire is to be remember by her integrity and compassion for others. She was nominated a record five times by those she has already impacted. Aimee wants to be a Music Educator and will study at George Fox University.

Heather Bansen 2009 Dayton High School Winner

Heather is our first Dayton High School Scholarship recipient. She is a tremendous example of the character presented by all the Dayton nominees. Heather’s passon for others is evident in her community activities. She will attend Idaho State and major in marketing.

2008 Winners

Patricia Heath 2008 McMinnville High School Winner

Patricia’s nomination was very inspiring as she has already overcome so much in her life as she was adopted from and African orphanage at age 13. It was said she has a positive outlook and a very strong desire to succeed and that part of her kindness and compassion for others stems from her previous experiences. It was also written that this person has been a very good role model to other students in the community and has an incredibly strong commitment to make McMinnville High School the best learning experience for all students

Abraham Mejia 2008 McMinnville High School Winner

Abraham took us by surprise: He was nominated by two separate individuals and his incredibly bright future really stems from his past when just two years ago he decided to completely turn his life around for the better. This young man has also been involved in various projects around the community. He also felt that one of his greatest accomplishments has been the chance to encourage one of his friends to actually go to college, move forward and help others.

2007 Winners

Ashley Braxling 2007 McMinnville Highschool Winner

Ashley was actually nominated by two different individuals. Both who wrote incredible things about her, it was said she is a natural leader and a role model. One teacher wrote that this person is enthusiastic, trust-worthy and sincere and is one of the best students that I have worked with over the last 18 years.

Michael Grinich 2007 McMinnville Highschool Winner

Michael’s nomination sent in by one of his advisors told of a great young man. He has been accepted to MIT and although isn’t quite sure what the final outcome will be from this prestigious university our thought is that he will probably end up being the 64th recipient from MIT to win the Nobel Prize!