Great NorthWest FCU Scholarships
Great NorthWest Federal Credit Union has partnered with the Grays Harbor Community Foundation to provide scholarships to local students in Grays Harbor and Pacific Counties.
To qualify for a scholarship, the following requirements must be satisfied.
Every applicant …
Must be a resident of Grays Harbor County or Pacific County OR
Must have graduated from a Grays Harbor or Pacific County high school
Must be a Great NorthWest FCU member in good standing
Must submit a complete application
Must request renewal online each year to continue receiving a scholarship (up to 4 years)
Renewals may be deferred for one year only, after which a complete application must be submitted
Further, each undergraduate student …
Must enroll as a full-time student (12 credits minimum) at an accredited college, university, or trade/vocational school
Is more likely to be considered with a cumulative grade point average of 3.0 (or its equivalent B average) in both high school and college, if applicable.
Beyond meeting these basic requirements, each applicant should exhibit outstanding character, a proven work ethic, and the promise of useful citizenship. These more qualitative judgments will be based on the applicant’s personal essay, resume and other information provided through the application form.
2025 Scholarship Winners - Christian Escobar and Oscar Galeana
christian escobar | willapa valley high school
“I am planning on attending Centralia Community College and pursuing a career in Diesel Mechanics. I am determined to build a successful career that both excites me and allows me to contribute to my community. Growing up in a hardworking family, I learned the value of hard work, perseverance, dedication, and the importance of pursuing my dreams despite facing many challenges. As a first generation student, it is very important for me to make my parents proud.”
oscar galeana | Aberdeen high school
“I was born and raised in Aberdeen, Washington where I currently reside, and have personally seen the diligence and desire needed to thrive in an area where chances may seem limited, but the sense of community is strong. The future that I am devoted to is psychology, engagement and entrepreneurial spirit which have all been shaped by the things I have learnt here whether from my past/current mentors, my studies, or personal struggles. I find it beneficial to assist people to overcome their difficulties while improving their lives, whether it means learning about abnormal psychology, the impact of drugs on mental health, or how to interact with others in a productive, positive reinforcement way.”
2024 Scholarship Winners - Maria Lopez Morales and Kevin Mendoza
maria lopez | South bend high school
“As a child of immigrant parents, I learned to take responsibility for my family and myself at a very young age. My parents pushed me to value my education since they were forced to giveup theirs to help provide for their family. The more involved I became with my family and their dreams, the more I knew what I wanted to be in the future. I saw the happiness in my parents eyes as they purchased their first home with the help of a realtor. I just officially became a Real Estate Agent and joined our local brokerage, The Seiler Home Group. I plan to open my brokerage to help break down the language barrier and bring happiness to other families as mine received.”
kevin mendoza - lake quinault high school
“My mom dropped out of school so she could focus more on work and raising me. My mom showed me that everything can be achieved with time. I worked really hard in middle school so I could move up a grade going into high school and had to do some extra classes. I started doing Rayonier careers in forest field trips. So far I’ve learned about road construction and how drones have been a huge help in forestry. I would like to attend Grays Harbor College and enroll in their forestry program. I am excited to learn more about this field of work.”
2023 Scholarship Winners - Alia Enlow and Alexander Sweet
Alia Enlow | raymond high school
“I am a senior at Raymond High School. This is a very small community that developed the person that I am today. I have amazing support and am pushed every day to achieve my goals. One of my long term career goals is to open my own chiropractic practice. My education is one of the things in my life I take very seriously and strive for excellence. I have maintained a high 3.9 GPA throughout high school while participating in multiple extracurricular activities and clubs. I have set many goals and will continue to set more goals for myself as I grow. I am excited for the journey ahead and I am confident that I will be able to make my goals a reality.”
Alexander sweet | Montesano high school
“This year I am taking all my classes at Grays Harbor Community College. I have already been accepted into Central Washington University and plan on getting my degree in Kinesiology along with the possibility of taking some business level classes for some extra knowledge. After I get my degree I am going to transfer to a chiropractic school and get my license there. I plan on graduating top of my class so I can get accepted into a high level school for my career. My degree will only take three years to get because of my year of college transferring over this year.”
2022 Scholarship Winners - Emma Shults and Shea Taylor
Emma shults | south bend
“While I love acting and being a part of performing arts, living in a small town has not made it easy to get experience and learn. I have always known that I wanted to get my bachelor’s degree, and more eventually I came to the conclusion that I would get my degree in theater. Not only is a bachelor’s degree extremely useful to have on its own, but it is my dream to go to a university with a great acting program and learn from the best. I want to become a great actress with great skills.”
shea taylor | gravity
“My goal is to become a lead teacher and allow me to work with children and acquire the promotion I desire.”
2021 Scholarship Winners - Sarah Warne and Hayden Stephens.
sarah warne | montesano
Sarah is a 2007 graduate of Montesano High School. She plans to attend Grays Harbor College in the fall. In her essay she stated: “My biggest accomplishments and the reason why I would love to finish school, are my children. They are now 4 and 7, and I want them to see that their mommy can do anything. I also have a wonderful husband who has a wonderful job, that has allowed me to be a stay at home mom and raise my kids. We are now at a point in our lives, where one day soon I would love to get a job, so that I can help my husband in supporting our family and future.”
Hayden Stephens | raymond high school
Hayden Stephens is a 2021 graduate of Raymond High School. He plans to attend Centralia College to study Diesel Mechanics. In his essay he stated: “In all my years of competition, I have learned that it is especially important to always have some form of competitive edge and I believe that in terms of a future career, this edge would be a higher education. Not only would I use this higher education to my advanatge in the future, but I am also competitive enough to get every bit of knowledge I possibly can from education. I see it to be incredibly important to make the most out of any opportunity to learn, as knowledge is the ultimate competitive edge and can be used for the rest of your life.”
2020 Scholarship Winners - Adam Smaciarz and Ethan Morrill. Congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2020!
2019 Scholarship Winners - Kylie Knodel and Carsyn Bair. Congratulations to the graduates of the Class of 2019!
Kylie Knodel | Aberdeen High School
My name is Kylie Knodel and I am a senior at Aberdeen High School. I am also enrolled in the Running Start Program at Grays Harbor College (GHC). At Aberdeen High School, I have maintained a 3.953 GPA and participate in various sports and clubs. I am involved in Girls Tennis and Soccer, Future Farmers of America (FFA), National Honor Society (NHS), and Yearbook. I hold the position of Sentinel in FFA, Secretary in NHS, and Layout Editor in Yearbook. I was elected Captain for Girls Tennis and given the award for MVP.
As part of FFA, I have been involved in various volunteer opportunities such as Feed the Hungry and the annual Plant Sale. At GHC, I am involved in the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society and maintain a 3.91 GPA. In June I will graduate with Highest Honors and as a Top Scholar from Aberdeen High School. I will also graduate from GHC with my AA degree in June 2019. I have been accepted into the Teacher Education Program at Grays Harbor College will continue my education there for the next two years.
I am thankful for the Great Northwest Federal Credit Union for awarding me the Great Northwest Federal Credit Union Scholarship to continue my post-secondary education.
Carysn Bair | Willapa Valley High School
My name is Carsyn Bair and I am a senior at Willapa Valley High School. I also participate in Running Start at Grays Harbor Community College where I will be receiving my AA from in June. Throughout High school I have also been involved in many extra curricular activities such as FBLA in which I served as President, I was also a part of our FFA Chapter and the Cheer squad.
After graduating this year I plan on going to Eastern Washington University in the fall where I will get my masters in Psychology. I am very grateful that I was awarded the Great Northwest Federal Credit Union Scholarship as it will allow me to continue my education.