Scholarships
Zonta Club Scholarships including YWPA and Jane M. Klausman Women in Business closed on March 15, 2024. Selections will be determined by May 2024.
The Patty J. Barton Memorial Scholarship is open – see application below. Applications deadline is April 15th, 2024.
Patty J. Barton Memorial
Scholarship 2023 Awarded to
Courtney Jeffs
The Patty J. Barton Memorial Scholarship was established by the Zonta Club in 2018 after Patty’s passing from breast cancer. The club continues to raise funds annually which are matched by Jon Barton, Patty’s husband. The PJB scholarships has been awarded for the third time. Over the last three years, $80,000 dollars have been awarded. The Scholarship fund is administered by the Coos Bay Area Zonta Service Foundation.
The Coos Bay Area Zonta Service Foundation is proud to announce that the fourth Patty J. Barton Memorial Scholarship is awarded to Courtney Jeffs of North Bend. This is a $20,000 renewable award to be issued over qualifying terms as the requirements of performance are met. Courtney Jeffs is studying for a Business degree at Portland State University, with a major in Advertising Management.
Courtney, a 2020 Marshfield High School graduate, has achieved an associate degree from Southwestern Oregon Community College. Both at MHS and at SWOCC, Courtney was an active member of Z Club and Golden Z Club respectively. She began building her foundation in business while still at MHS, earning multiple Adobe certifications with which she could do freelance work in the Coos Bay area. As a 1st generation college student, she maintains a 3.8 GPA at PSU and continues her community volunteer service there. Dr. Joel Bettridge, one of Courtney’s professors at PSU, wrote “Courtney is exceptionally focused on her education and is tenacious in her pursuit of it; I believe that she will go on to do outstanding work in whatever field she chooses and is just the kind of student who deserves financial support.”
Laura Lee Blenz Engineering Scholarship
ZONTA CLUB OF THE COOS BAY AREA ANNOUNCES SECOND RECIPIENT OF THE LAURA LEE BLENZ SCHOLARSHIP
After a generous family donation to the Laura Lee Blenz scholarship fund, Zonta is pleased to announce Geneva Varga as the second recipient of the Laura Lee Blenz/Coos Bay Area Zonta Engineering Scholarship. This scholarship is named after long time Zonta Member Laura Lee Blenz who passed away at 101 years of age in May 2020.
In the 1930’s when Laura Lee was in high school, she would have liked to have become an engineer if that option was possible when she was in school. This scholarship fund was established as a memorial from her family and other donations in her honor after her death. $2,250 is amount of this year’s award which is automatically renewable for up to four years if the student is in good standing (minimum 3.0 GPA/at least half-time enrollment).
Geneva Varga is a graduate of Winter Lakes High School in Coquille. She was home schooled for her early education and is fluent in Mandarin Chinese. Geneva completed her associate degree at SWOCC before transferring to Oregon State University where she studies civil engineering. Her career goal is to become an environmental process engineer. Geneva’s suggestions for girls who wish to become engineers are to keep an open mind and be curious.
The first recipient of this scholarship was Payton Davidson in 2021, a Marshfield High School graduate and current student in civil engineering at George Fox University. Payton’s excellent grades will allow her to receive a second scholarship in 2022.
This scholarship is administered through the Oregon Community Foundation.
Zonta International Scholarships
Amelia Earhart Fellowship
Apply directly to Zonta International
Globally, women make up around 25 percent of the workforce in the aerospace industry. In an effort to carry out its mission that women have access to all resources and are represented in decision-making positions on an equal basis with men, Zonta International offers the Amelia Earhart Fellowship.
The Amelia Earhart Fellowship was established in 1938 in honor of famed pilot and Zontian, Amelia Earhart. The US$10,000 Fellowship is awarded annually to up to 35 women pursuing Ph.D./doctoral degrees in aerospace engineering and space sciences. It may be used at any university or college offering accredited post-graduate courses and degrees in these fields.
Since the program’s inception in 1938, Zonta has awarded 1,638 Amelia Earhart Fellowships, totaling more than US$10.6 million, to 1,209 women representing 73 countries.
Our Fellows have gone on to become astronauts, aerospace engineers, astronomers, professors, geologists, business owners, heads of companies, even Secretary of the US Air Force.