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Overview
Each year, the scholarship committee selects women from West Valley College who are transferring to a college or university in order to continue their education in math, science technology, engineering (STEM) or related fields. A printable brochure is attached.
Applicants are women students at West Valley College who are majoring in a STEM field and are transferring to a four-year university or college to complete their degrees.
Due to the wonderful generosity of our members, the 2024 Local Scholarship will be awarded in the amount of $3,000.
In fall of 2023, the Los Gatos – Saratoga AAUW joined the West Valley Mission Foundation in the hopes of attracting more candidates for our scholarship. The application process for students applying for these scholarships is significantly streamlined by having a single application to fill out for all of the applicable scholarships.
Please refer to the West Valley College Scholarship page for an application.
–Laurie Lindsey, Local Scholarship Committee Chair
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Scholarship Donations
Donations in support of these young women are always welcome and appreciated. Checks may be written to: ISPF-AAUW. In the memo line, please indicate “Los Gatos-Saratoga Local Scholarships” in the memo line. Checks should be mailed to the ISPF treasurer:
Los Gatos-Saratoga Scholarships
ISPF – AAUW
1165 Minnesota Avenue
San Jose, CA 95125
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What is Included in STEM?
There is no “official definition” for STEM, other than “Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics. However the Los Gatos-Saratoga AAUW have adopted the National Science Foundation definition. The NSF uses a broader definition of STEM that includes psychology and the social sciences (e.g. political science, economics) as well as the so-called core sciences and engineering. (refer to the linked Wikipedia article) This definition may be helpful in clarifying who may be eligible to receive our local scholarship awards.
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2024 Scholarship Award
Jackeline Arellano is the first person in her family to attend college. She managed to maintain a 3.84 GPA at West Valley College while working to support herself and carrying a full load of courses, including physics, differential equations, and several computer science classes. In her personal statement she wrote “I hope to one day become a leader in engineering and contribute to projects with lasting societal impact. My upbringing taught me that adaptability and embracing diversity are not just personal values but professional assets, especially in engineering. They have prepared me to approach problems with a broader perspective, innovate for a diverse global audience, and show that individuals from all walks of life enrich the engineering field.”
Jackeline will attend San Jose State University to pursue a degree in engineering, a field where both her gender and her ethnicity are under-represented. Thanks to the generosity of our AAUW members, our branch was able to award her a scholarship in the amount of $3,000. We wish her continued success in this next phase of her education!
Thank you again to all our members who support our scholarship fund with donations! We couldn’t offer this financial support to our recipients to pursue their STEM educational dreams without your generosity. You truly make a difference in their lives!
~Laurie Lindsey, Local Scholarship Chair
2023 Scholarship Award
The Local Scholarship Committee has awarded one $3,000 scholarship this year to a very deserving candidate who comes highly recommended. Laurie Lindsey met our Local Scholarship recipient at an awards ceremony on May 19, 2023. Congratulations to Jessica Velo, our scholarship recipient for 2022-2023.
Laurie Lindsey with Jessica Velo
Jessica Velo will be the first in her family to attend college. She has studied Computer Science at WVC with the goal of obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree, and then a Master’s Degree, to become a Data Scientist. She has been accepted to San Jose State University for this fall and would like to attend the University of California at Irvine for her Master’s. In spite of needing to work while studying, she has maintained her GPA and has been active on campus in the MESA (Math, Engineering, and Science Achievement) Club, the Women in STEM Club, and the Stanford Women in STEM Mentorship Program, as well as the AGS Honor Society. She feels very strongly about having a role mentoring other women in the future. This scholarship will allow her to reduce some of her work hours while studying.
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About the Committee
The 2023-2024 Annual report may be found here.
The committee is composed of educators or those who have worked in educational institutions or STEM fields.
- Audry Lynch – taught preschool, elementary, high school; 32 years as a counselor at an intermediate school and 25 years as a part time English instructor at Mission College.
- Mara Otlans – has a finance background; worked 15 years as CFO for home builder responsible for financial reporting, strategic planning, marketing, accounting, and personnel.
- Julie Stevens, – worked as an administrative assistant in the Department of Civil Environmental Engineering at Stanford.
- Sumi Tanabe – worked at West Valley, District Office of the Chancellor and retired as a manager at Mission College and taught part time Computer Applications for 20 years.
- Laurie Lindsey, Chair – worked for 45+ years in the Software Engineering field. Her industry experience included several startup companies, serving on several IEEE Local Area Network (IEEE802) committees, and working in many management and individual contributor roles.
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Contact:
Chair: Laurie Lindsey, lauriellindsey@gmail.com.