In the early days of the Sacramento branch, in keeping with our mission to empower women, financial aid became available to women over 25 who were working on completing their college education in Sacramento County and who demonstrated financial need. This aid was in the form of loans. Over time, collecting these loans became unwieldy and difficult, so the program shifted to the awarding of scholarships. The application has also evolved so that it is more specific and can now be completed online.

The early amounts were by today’s standards modest, but very helpful given the cost of education. In the 1970s, scholarships were $100. Gradually, the amounts of the scholarships rose to reflect the rising cost of education. Today, scholarships of $2,000 are awarded to women over 25 who are already enrolled in one of the Los Rios Schools (Sacramento City College, American River College, Folsom Community College, Cosumnes River College) or California State University, Sacramento and are working toward their first baccalaureate degree. In the past eight years, the Sacramento Branch has awarded approximately $58,000 in scholarship aid.

The Scholarship program has always been ably led by directors and committee members who have shaped the program to meet the changing times. The program will continue to grow and change as we look to the challenges of the 21^st century. But always, the program exists because of the steadfast and generous support of our members.

Sometimes, the good we do is well remembered. This September, I was contacted by Charlene Rasmussen, who wished to donate to scholarships. Charlene does not live in Sacramento anymore and searched for us on our website. She wanted to make a donation to scholarships in gratitude for the help she had been given years ago. In the note she enclosed with her donation, she wrote: “As a former beneficiary of this same AAUW Scholarship Program (1974/75), I am pleased to “pay it back” in 2019. I was a re-entry woman catching up on my education with two children to parent at the same time.” Ms. Rasmussen has donated $4,000 to our scholarship program — enough to fund two scholarships. We are delighted that she not only is grateful but also that she remembered us with such a generous gift.

In addition to this most welcome surprise, the scholarship program has benefitted from the generosity of members who wished to fund “Named” or “memorial”

scholarships. AAUW Sacramento Branch member Maggie Roth deeply loved and admired her sister, Loretta, and was moved to honor her with the Loretta Ann Roth

Memorial Scholarship. A distinguished artist in her own right, Loretta’s murals, paintings, and drawings were honored in local, state and national exhibitions. A teacher as well, Loretta reached out to her students and showed them that their artistic talent gave them a road to the future. She was thrilled when learning about their successes. She rejoiced that their lives had room for beauty. Loretta was passionately supportive of her students, many of whom were first-generation. This comment from one of her former students captures her gift as a teacher: “She was my favorite teacher and she cared about me like a parent. She was honest and blunt if she needed to be, but also soft and funny. She was a fantastic teacher and artist. In everything I have done professionally, I have always thought about her influence and what she would think of my achievements now.” Thank you, Maggie, for honoring your sister in this way.

Donna Holmes, AAUW Sacramento Branch member, is a third-generation AAUW member and the eldest of Mary and Donn Random’s three children. Her grandmother, Rebecca Suhr, was the first woman to graduate from the Stanford School of Law, class of 1903. Donna’s parents valued education and understood how much it enriched their lives and broadened minds. Her father had to drop out of high school after his father died in 1931 to support the family. He continued his education by life-long study. Her mother had a scholarship to Stanford, but it was 1937 and her family could not afford her housing and clothes. So, she lived at home, walked to the University of Nevada, worked the whole time, and graduated in four years in June 1941! Donna and her siblings were assured there would always be money for school. Donna and her sister, a doctorate in chemistry from Case Western and member at large, fulfilled their goals. Although Donna’s brother went into the military rather than college, his four daughters have all gone to college and three have graduated. The opportunities and friendships that education make possible is a gift Donna wanted to keep giving in her family’s name. It is just a small way she can say “thank you” for having such wonderful parents. This year marks the eighth recipient. Thank you, Donna, for your steadfast generosity.

Finally, because of the generous outpouring of donations in memory of Ruth Burgess, we are able to award a scholarship in her memory. Ruth was a leader in the community, in her church, and in our branch. Ruth was a past president of the AAUW Sacramento Branch and a leader in fundraising, both in the branch and in the larger Sacramento community. Ruth was quick to address needs and see projects to a successful conclusion. Most recently, she had directed Funds. She was the leader who began the planning for the branch’s 100th-anniversary celebration, which will take place Feb. 29, 2020. Ruth also remembered the branch with a legacy. In addition to this year’s scholarship, enough donations have come in to fund three more years of a memorial scholarship. We were pleased that Ruth’s husband, Russell, was able to present this scholarship at our annual showcase. Thank you to all who have given so generously to make this tribute to Ruth possible.