Minerva Scholarships Go Online: By and For Women

Three retired women had a vision in 1991: to change and improve the lives of women on the Key Peninsula by developing a scholarship. The Minerva Scholarship Fund was created when Colonel Sybil Mercer, Ruth Taylor, and Colonel Florence Casey each contributed $5,000 to start the 501(c)(3). Three years later, with help from the American Association of University Women and other donors, the fund was substantial enough to begin accepting scholarship applicants. The fund has continued to grow each year, and new applications are accepted each spring.

After 35 years and over 200 scholarships, the Minerva Scholarship Fund is updating its application process. This year, the application is accessible online through a link on the Minerva website.

“In the past, everything was on paper,” said Mary Kolar, chair of the scholarship committee. “We were passing packets of paper around. This makes it so much easier for the process to proceed.”

Any woman living or working within the Peninsula School District geographical area is eligible to apply. Applicants must have had an interruption in their educational history of at least one year. Women are able to apply for any sort of certificate or degree; scholarships are not limited to traditional colleges.

“I am in awe of their foresight,” said Board President Julie Offner. “It’s made a significant difference for most of the women. College used to be cheap, but now people have these crushing loans. We will help get them through their programs. Not just traditional college degrees or certifications. The program is flexible and helps women right where they are.”

Past recipient Robin Humphry received $1,000 for tuition at Tacoma Community College about 15 years ago. “Every little bit helped,” she said. “I worked and tried to be a single mom and go to school. I had to do all those things at the same time.”

Women have applied for scholarship assistance in programs as varied as commercial driver training, esthetician programs, associate degrees, filmography school, nursing programs, and biology.

Olga Inglebritson, a new board member, often advocates for the Minerva Scholarship Fund. “I received $500 — you would have thought it was a million,” she said. I was able to finish my associates in 2007. I was a single mom, not worked for a few years. Then life changed, and I had to go back to school to make a livable wage. I did not have enough financial aid to finish my last quarter, when I saw the flyer for Minerva. I submitted the paperwork and was shocked to receive the exact amount that I needed to finish the quarter. I dropped out of school at 16. Whatever is going on in your life right now does not define you.”

Inglebritson completed her doctorate and is the dean of adult education at the Gig Harbor TCC campus.

“The founders did not need this type of scholarship; that is how much they believed in it,” Inglebritson said. “It’s such a confidence builder.”

Kolar said, “Applicants will find the online version much easier. The application will not let you move on till everything is complete. Scholarship committee members pay particular attention to the student’s own story and their motivation for applying.”

Awards have been made from $1,000 up to $10,000, depending on the program. Students can apply for funding in consecutive years to complete a program. Minerva members stay in touch with recipients to help mentor and encourage them.

In 2022, the Minerva Scholarship Fund joined forces with the Greater Gig Harbor Foundation. The foundation monitors regulations and provides staff, bookkeeping, and insurance to support the fund. Participation with the GGHF provides increased opportunities for donations and expertise in managing the fund for financial growth.

Interested women can go to https://minervagigharbor.org and find the link for applications. The deadline is March 31.