The President's Corner
By Pattie Vargas

Hello, Soaring Eagles!

“The best way to find yourself, is to
lose yourself in the service of
others.” Ghandi

Another fundraiser has come and gone and our scholarship winners have been selected. I find it amazingly gratifying to serve on the Scholarship Committee and to play a small part in helping others achieve their dreams. It is especially rewarding when you consider that, if not for the Soaring Eagles, some of the recipients might not be able to afford their
books, take additional classes or go to school at all!

One of our recipients, Ashley H., attended the fundraiser and spoke to the
attendees regarding what our help has meant to her. Ashley was a winner in 2007 and we are so pleased to be able to help her again in 2008 as she continues her progress towards a degree in Marine Biology.

The fundraiser team worked very hard this year, under the able direction of Sue Puffet, who did an awesome job leading us in a direction we had not previously pursued! Now, I suspect that no one works on this committee because we love the last minute changes, the long, planning meetings or the event that begins hours before the first attendee ever arrives. No, I think it has something to do with keeping your eye on the prize– the scholarship applicants we are going to help and the members who will benefit from our Professional Development program.

Consider some of the students we have helped in the past …
Ashley who came up through the Foster Care system and has continued to push and challenge herself to achieve her dreams. I also think of Amber N. who successfully completed a Drug Treatment program, regained her daughter and went on to earn, with our help, her certification as an addiction counselor and now carries a case load of 40 individuals.

We’ve helped students and applicants from Valley High, from Women’s Resource Center, and other organizations– individuals who have gone on to make us proud!

Knowing who we are helping, and the difference we are making, is what makes the long hours and the hard work for the fundraiser worthwhile. What could be a more rewarding use of our time and energies!
Fondly,

Patti