Scholarships

Mary Rait/Mary Jewell Willsea Endowed Grants Fund

The Mary Rait Grant was established by the Grand Junction Branch of AAUW in honor of Mary Rait, a long-time champion of education in Mesa County. Mary taught at Mesa College (then a Junior College) and was a charter member of the Grand Junction AAUW Branch in 1927.

Later, in the early 90’s, Mary Jewell Willsea, aunt of AAUW member Harriett Craig, learned from Harriett about the Rait Scholarship which was awarded to women returning to college to work toward a degree after some years away from the academic scene. Her strong interest in supporting non-traditional women in education led Mary Jewell Willsea to leave a bequest of over $80,000 from part of the proceeds of the sale of her home at 7th and Gunnison. The earnings of this endowed grant has been annually supporting one or more women with $1,000 scholarships.

The Colorado Mesa University Foundation manages the Mary Rait/Mary Jewell Willsea Fund on behalf of our AAUW Branch.

For eligibility information and application, contact the Financial Aid office at Colorado Mesa University.

Western Colorado Community College Scholarship Fund

The Colorado Mesa University Foundation manages the Western Colorado Community College (formerly known as UTEC) Scholarship Fund on behalf of our AAUW Branch. It all started in 1998 when member Lori Wood had the idea to start a scholarship at UTEC for women studying in non-traditional fields. She enlisted the help of members of the special interest group, “Chocolate Lowers and Silly Games” to produce an AAUW cookbook – The Anecdotal Chocolate and other Juicy Morsels from Western Colorado. The proceeds of their sale were contributed to the fund.

In the 2006-2007 year, a donor campaign was promoted to raise funds for the WCCC Scholarship in order to build the necessary principle from which to expend funds for scholarships. In March 2007 the endowment became actualized, meaning scholarships could now be issued for women students studying in a non-traditional field.

Branch members may continue to donate tot eh WCCC Scholarship Fund. Colorado Mesa University is a designated Enterprise Zone Contribution Project which means that donors of $50.00 or more to the AAUW WCCC Endowment may qualify for a 25% Colorado State tax credit.

Donations should be made to the Colorado Mesa University Foundation, WCCC Scholarship and sent to Jane Fitzgerald. The chocolate cookbook is still available from Jane Fitzgerald or Lori Wood.

For eligibility information and application, contact the Financial Aide office at WCCC.