Thank you Joan!
The generous donation of quilt by Joan (Nickell) Bratosh, Class of 1953, kicked off our local outreach at school & community events in fall of 2023 to raise funds for our Scholarship program.
The beauty of her work drew event attendees to our table, to support our mission of providing Scholarships for Big Sandy graduates to pursue their education and career skills whether they were alumni or not.
Alumni renewed or started their membership to support our organization’s scholarship mission, while connecting with other alumni.
$1080 Raised for Scholarships
Thanks to the generosity of members, family and community supporters, Joan’s donation of her beautiful quilt raised $1,080 via 216 drawing tickets sold, for our scholarship fund.
Connection moments experienced between volunteers, members and community supporters as Joan’s beautiful quilt caught the eye of many at local events?
Priceless!
Congratulations to our Quilt Winner!
Deanne Culp was the lucky winner of the quilt drawing.
BSAA Fundraising Focus
We work to keep our organization fiscally responsible and healthy enough to expand our Scholarship program bit by bit, as the costs for post-secondary education, steadily increase.
We now fund $6,000 dollars every year, via three, $2,000 each, awards that includes awards to those attending vocational/trade schools to pursue their life’s work.
We, like many other local non-profits, are continually assessing ways or tools to use, to connect with alumni of Big Sandy, our community supporters and other alumni from the schools that once served this area: Alta Vista, Central, Matheson and Ramah.
Schools, that one by one, over many years, closed down via consolidation into Big Sandy 100J School District and may or may not have thriving alumni associations, but contain attendees and graduates who are known to us, remembered fondly by our community and network of alumni.
Our core goal, is to fund our Scholarship Program – We exist to invest in the future of our Big Sandy graduates, who are on the threshold to become leaders, experts in their field of study, innovators, motivators, job creators, service and product providers to many, if only, they have the support to pursue their educational needs.
No matter how far away or close to their home of childhood school days, they may roam, through character, dedication, education and work, they are a testament to the people who make our country great, but may never make headline news or receive national/global recognition or awards.
And yet, over and over, Big Sandy graduates make a profound difference for their family, neighbors, community, colleagues, collaborators and industry impacts, every day, over and over.
About BSAA Scholarship
- Eligibility:
- Big Sandy 100J School District Seniors are eligible to apply
- Acceptance to attend a 2-year, 4-year university/college or trade school with accredited post-secondary programs required to apply.
- How to apply: Contact Big Sandy 100J School Counselor.
- When to Apply: Anytime during your Senior year at Big Sandy.
- Deadline for applications falls each year in late winter/early spring of the school year, to allow time for our rotating panel of scholarship committee judges to award and announce winners by Graduation Day, each May. Deadlines for each year are announced each year.
- Why Apply? There is an entire community of Alumni members & supporters, who contribute every year, to support the next class of Big Sandy graduates in their post-secondary education needs, with the promise to applicants:
- “You won’t be passed over/missed in the onslaught of applications submitted nationwide.” Our scope, scholarship committee, etc., exists only for our local graduates. Our only question to our local seniors is: Why would you Not apply?
Scholarship History
Since 1969, Big Sandy Alumni association has, to date, awarded 84 scholarships to Big Sandy graduates, totaling $78,700.00
Our first scholarship was awarded in 1969 in amount of $50.
Our Scholarship mission continues to grow and expand, is fully funded by the generosity of our members & community supporters and backed up in benefits, trust, by our non-profit status, our Executive Officers who volunteer their time to serve our Association members, donors and outreach.
When you join, renew your membership, donate? You know know your donation is tax-deductible and we strive to keep our organization financially healthy all while expanding our scholarship program in it’s support of our local graduates.
