Washburn Women's Alliance honors scholarship recipients, donors

As Lauren Wright enters junior year at Washburn University School of Law, she will have help from the Washburn Women's Alliance.

Twenty-three scholarship recipients and their donors were recognized during a Tuesday evening reception.

Wright said receiving the scholarship is a boost in self-confidence and a motivator to work even harder. It is also great to be recognized as a single parent who has worked hard and struggled, she said.

Wright has two children, ages 10 and 8. She hopes to practice civil litigation after completing law school.

The Washburn Women's Alliance was established in 1995 to provide financial resources for non-traditional female students, namely single mothers.

In 1996, the group awarded the first scholarship of $856.

This year, $80,000 was distributed, president Becky Sanders said.

This is the third year scholarships have also been given to single fathers who are the custodial parent, Sanders said.

The reception is an opportunity for recipients to meet their donors.

Georgia Sandlin's son, Clayton Funk, started a scholarship in her name many Mother's Days ago. Sandlin said she was a single mother who struggled herself and later went back to school to receive her master's in special education.

"It's very satisfying to be able to help someone else," she said. "I usually get their story and we get to see young people just starting out and get this boost that they might not otherwise have."

Ashley Sumpter, a three-year recipient of the scholarship, said she has kept in touch with some of her past donors.

She graduated Saturday and is continuing on to graduate school for addiction counseling at Washburn.

Eventually she would like to work in a clinic with community outreach services.

"(The scholarship) gives me more opportunity to grow my knowledge and to help my community," she said.

She added that the scholarship has helped her pursue her dreams and to be an example to her 10-year-old daughter to do the same.

Sanders said the scholarships are like a rock being thrown in a lake with ripples of effects that reinforce the importance of education.

Randy Pembrook, vice president of academic affairs, addressed the audience of about 165 people. He told them the program makes a difference and changes lives dramatically.

Source: Washburn Women's Alliance honors scholarship recipients, donors