The September dinner meeting of SBW was called to order by President Janice Cones. Debbie Ulmer, chaplain, gave the invocation.
The meeting was under the direction of the Career Advancement Committee, Valerie Dent, chair. Other members of the SBW Career Committee are Rachelle Simon, Michelle Sparks, Linda Fisher, Laura Taylor, LaSandra Marsch, Linda Fox, Kelly Asbury, and Patricia Monsees.
Three scholarships were awarded this year: Jacqueline Klein, Brandie Estes, and Alyssa Fowler. Jacqueline and Brandie were present at the meeting and spoke about their academic goals.
Scholarship recipients also receive a one-year SBW membership.
Jacqueline Klein is a graduate of the Pettis County RV School District (Northwest), and is currently in the Dental Hygiene Program at State Fair Community College.
She is thankful for the scholarship with will help her achieve her career goals to graduate from State Fair with dual degrees, an Associate of Arts degree and an Associate of Applied Science degree, and complete the national written and clinical board exam to become Registered Dental Hygienist. Jacqueline’s future goals are to be certified and eligible to teach the future Dental Hygiene students.
She currently lives in Sweet Springs with her boyfriend and her dog.
Brandie Estes went on two mission trips to Haiti in 2016 and 2018, and in 2019 she was a founding board member for Journey Home Shelter in Warrensburg. This experience forever changed Brandie and she knew her heart was in helping others.
She left her job of 18 years when she realized she could no longer be about numbers and not people. This inspired her to enroll in Wellspring School of Applied Health in Kansas City with a goal of becoming a massage therapist.
Brandie wants to help others in their healing journey and to create a safe space for her clients. Touch is a powerful way to do this.
Brandie is the mother of two young women: Hannah who is a marine veteran and mother to her granddaughter Natalie, and Brinna who is a Knob Noster High School graduate. Her partner, Jessie, has been one of her greatest supporters throughout her educational journey,
She expressed her sincere thanks to SBW for the scholarship to help her fulfill her dreams.
Alyssa Fowler a grateful recipient of a SBW scholarship to help her further her educational and career goals. She will be attending graduate school at Belmont University in Nashville, TN, in pursuit of a Masters in Occupational Therapy (MSOT).
She currently is an Occupational Therapy Assistant (OTA). In this profession, she provides therapy for all age groups from children to the elderly. She provides services in different settings from schools, clinics, nursing homes, and in the clients’ homes. She helps people complete daily tasks to the best of their abilities with possible adaptations and modifications so they can be independent in their homes.
After she completes the MSOT program, she will be able to provide services in central Missouri that may not have an OT. She believes that it is important for her and other women to push through the hard times and reach their personal goals.
It has always been Alyssa’s dream to become an OTR so that she will have more options with a degree. She believes that she would be a good teacher to those that are pursuing an education in the area of OT because she has been through the program and can help them succeed.
The scholarship money will help her and her family pay for tuition as well as traveling expenses for the mandatory lab time and check-offs in Nashville.
Alyssa is thankful for the scholarship award and will push herself to do the best that she can and succeed in the end.
