Meet Our Scholars

"I am a single mother of 2, soon to be 3. It took a leap of faith to return to school for my next level nursing degree. I am pleased to announce that after many long days of studying, I successfully completed my classes and I finished strong. I am grateful for the Jeannette Rankin Foundation because I could not have done this without them!”

"The opportunity this scholarship presents will help my family as it will greatly decrease, if not erase, the need for student loans, and allow me to continue pursuing my education without the worry or stress of having to work full time while in school. I want my kids to know it's important to get an education, and with hard work and dedication, they too can do it!"

“The world will only get better when we raise better children.”

Thanks to the Jeannette Rankin Scholarship, Frances will complete her Associate's degree in Early Childhood Education this spring and will pursue her Bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Education.

“I have spent my adult life in the service of others. I firmly believe that it is my path in life to help and provide service to those in need. From working with the chronically homeless, to serving food in restaurants, my hope is that I am able to help people in whatever capacity I am able."

“As a single mother of two smart, beautiful daughters, I knew early on that I had to be able to provide for them. I knew that in order to give them the best life possible that I needed to further my education. Although the road to pursuing my goals has been difficult at times, I knew that receiving a higher education outweighed any of the obstacles that I might face.”

“By pursuing a college education, I am reframing what was once a constricting, traumatic experience, and I am shaping it into an expansive opportunity for growth and liberation that I want to share with other women.”

Tammie is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s of Social Work, with plans to continue on to get her Master’s of Social Work.

"I have put myself on hold to raise a family, and to ensure I was fully dedicated to my current employer. Due to financial reasons, it seemed very difficult to do all these things and still be able to finally obtain my bachelor's degree. The financial burden is still there, but I refuse to let anything else deter me from finishing what I started so many years ago. The possibilities for me are limitless." 

"The 2016 Jeannette Rankin Scholarship released a powerful unstoppable belief in me that a low-income woman over 35 with eight children can achieve what many see as the impossible. The Jeannette Rankin Scholarship gave me monetary support with no burden. This made my decision to register for spring semester 2017 classes possible."

“Like Jeannette Rankin, I hope to be a force for social impact and be progressive in bettering the lives of others by applying my education. The studies I am immersed in contain information that won't just stay in books but will have an impact on people's lives. My commitment to learning affects the level of care that others will receive.”

Once she graduates, Elizabeth says “I will actively seek opportunities working for my present employer, the community college, to encourage the older mature student who questions if hey will be able to succeed. I will be able to validate the student’s goals by sharing my own personal success story. If I can do it, they can as well.”

Marcie will be pursuing a job in management in either supply chain and logistics or HR. In addition to working and supporting her family, she wants to empower other students to “set goals to obtain higher education through tutoring and volunteering at our small Christian school.” Marcie is an incredible success story and a wonderful example of what is possible in furthering her education.

“I have enjoyed helping people learn about community services available to them. I hope to be able to serve in a professional position sometime in the future, where I might have even more of an ability to help victims of domestic violence, substance abusers and people with disabilities,” says Gwen.

After graduation, Gwen hopes to continue to make a difference in people’s lives the same way JRF has made a difference in hers. She would like to thank everyone at JRF for believing in her and giving her the confidence she needed to succeed.

“The Jeannette Rankin Women’s Scholarship Foundation has given me the opportunity to start over and rebuild my life. From receiving my Associate’s degree to receiving my bachelor’s degree this Spring of 2017, this experience inspired me in so many ways!”

The accomplishment that makes me proudest is receiving my associate degree because when I walked on that stage to receive my diploma, I glanced to where my family was sitting and my youngest son Arthur was smiling from ear to ear. To see him so happy and proud of me tugged at my heart as I’ve never felt before. I hope to continue setting a good example for my children and teaching them that although things will get hard, a good education will keep you going.”

When Yinghong's three year old son was diagnosed with Autism, the single mom took a leave of absence from nursing school to care for him. She says, “If my career goal is to help others, I should help my son first since he needs me desperately.” Three years later, Yinghong’s son is thriving, and she credits this to her early intervention.

Yinghong never abandoned her dream of working in healthcare and decided it was time to return to school. Yinghong loves the profession and has realized that as a physical therapist assistant she must "empower [herself] to help other people." In addition, she works as an advocate for the elderly and as an interpreter for Asian patients who aren’t fluent in English.