For the last 8  years I have been honored to be a part of a committee that selects and interviews candidates for the Bennett Memorial Kiwanis Scholarship.  We had 53 applicants this year.

The Kiwanis –Bennett Memorial Scholarship Fund has provided scholarships for deserving students since 1955. This scholarship is named in memory of a member of the Kiwanis Club of Bremerton, I. Wesley Bennett, and his wife Nellie, who left a large share of their estate for this purpose. Since that initial gift over 60 years ago, other contributions have been received, allowing the fund to provide over $1,060,000 in scholarships .

This years 21 recipients will be our future nurses, surgeons, lawyers,  educators, robotic engineers, biologists, and business majors.  They are our local kids who are from local  schools,  mostly Bremerton and CK.  Many hope to come back and put their skills to work right back in our community.  They will attend OC, Western, Evergreen, UW, Gonzaga, U of Portland, to Hawaiin Pacific, Lincoln and Chapel Hill.   Students had an average GPA of 3.5 or better and logged 300 hours or more of community service……several had accomplished that while also participating in running start.  They were all quite amazing and excited about what lies ahead for them.

Recipients:  Dezerae Hamblin  – OC , Kelsey Cain – CK, UW, Ellie Davis – UW , Cora Newton  – NM, HP , Samantha Luong – WWU, Bryan Freeman – BHS, UW, Joy Clark – CK, UW, Carly Strong – NM, ESC, Sarah Holt – UP,  Rebecca Campbell – UW, Brielle Mathis – SK,OC,  Kevin Nguyen – BHS,UW,  Lydia Caldwell – BHS,WWU, Abe Bartlett – BHS, LU, Jasmine Ford – GU , Tiana Herring – BHS, CHU, Andrea Hjorten – BHS,WWU, Amanda Ford – CK,GU,  Jalena Myers – NK,SU, Michaela Myers – PLU, Clarissa Gold – UV

The local Kiwanis club meets every Thursday for lunch at “The Source” 516 5th St.  next to the Admiral Theatre from 12:30 – 1:20 and has about 30 active members,  You will see us in our red vests this weekend marshaling the Armed Forces Day Parade downtown.

http://www.bremertonkiwanis.org