Donor Spotlight

       Vicky Howard is a strong believer in “what goes around, comes around,” and with her recent donation to the Mendocino College Foundation, the nursing program graduate is hoping to convince others.

“I believe in giving back,” Howard explained about her $500 donation. “I was fortunate to be given a scholarship while I was in the nursing program, and my husband and I are doing well and are fortunate enough to make the donation so that someone else can receive a scholarship.  I believe in ‘what goes around, comes around’ and vice-versa.”

Howard credited her husband Jeff with the idea of making the contribution, but she added that she thinks it is something every scholarship recipient should consider doing when possible, suggesting, “Why don’t more people do this?”

The registered nurse has landed her first professional position at Frank R. Howard Memorial Hospital in Willits. She is grateful for Mendocino College giving her a chance to earn her degree, saying that she faced difficulty getting into Bay Area colleges that used a lottery system to select students for their programs. She is also thankful for the scholarship she received while attending Mendocino College. Howard graduated in May.

 “The scholarship meant so much to me because I believe I was chosen based on the hard work I have put in to my education,” said Howard. “I worked full-time while I went to school for all the nursing pre-requisite classes, and I managed to get A's in all of those classes.” It took her three years to complete those classes.  “Once I was accepted into the nursing program, I managed to keep up my grades and graduated with a 4.0 (grade point average). That is the reason the scholarship meant so much to me; I felt my hard work was being honored.”

Receiving a scholarship also helped motivate Howard. “It made me feel the need to work that much harder, and it also made me feel like the work I was doing was paying off in ways I hadn't even imagined.”

Howard says she loves her new job. She has a special appreciation for her workplace, noting that it was the first hospital in which she worked as a student. 

Her dedication at the College did not go unnoticed. “Vicky was a joy to have in the program as she was a serious student who maintained her sense of humor,” stated Barbara French, director of the College’s nursing program. “We were fortunate enough to help her with expenses during her time here at the College, and the donation to the Foundation from Vicky and Jeff will definitely assist other students.  It is through donations such as this that the Foundation continues to be so helpful to the College and its students.”