By joining or supporting the American Association of University Women (AAUW) you will belong to a community that breaks through educational and economic barriers so that all women have a fair chance.
Officer Installation and Member Awards Luncheon
On June 2, we held our annual Officer Installation Luncheon at the Rendezvous
restaurant in downtown Tillamook. Twenty one attendees enjoyed the fun celebration
including scholarship recipient Emily Skaar and her family.
Officer Installation included:
Gail Nelson renewing as Secretary
Sue Luce renewing as Treasurer
Heidi Luquette continues term as President
Patrice Rouska continues term as VP Communications and was appointed Membership Chair.
Recognition of Service
Kelly Benson, outgoing VP Membership
Britta Lawrence, outgoing President Elect.
Kathy Gervasi for her years of service publishing both the directory and Tidelines newsletter.
Volunteers of the year Award
Phyllis Ham and Andrea Goss were recognized as volunteers of the year for co-chairing the annual rummage sale fundraiser.
Funds Honoree Award
Doris Nelson was recognized as the Funds Honoree for the branch.
Thank you was given to our volunteer committee chairs.
Lisa Sage – Scholarship Chair
Lisa Phipps – Public Policy Chair
Bonita Smulski-Bizeau – Funds Chair
Dion Bacon – Governance Chair
Betty Diamond – Social Media
Dinah Nicholson – TBCC Scholarship Chair
The president awarded certificates of appreciation to the following:
Patrice Rouska – Above and Beyond Award
Sue Luce – Irons in the Fire Award
Susan Pierce – Save the Day Award
2024-25 University and TBCC scholarship Recipients
The AAUW Tillamook branch awards two different scholarships each year. One is for University students who are already attending at least their first year. The other is an endowed scholarship for students attending Tillamook Bay Community College. We are proud to announce this year’s recipients. Thank you to both scholarship committees for your work to select these outstanding students.
Emily Skaar – University Scholarship Recipient
Emily grew up in Tillamook and graduated from Tillamook High School. She is currently attending Queens University of Charlotte, majoring in Exercise Science and minoring in Spanish. She plans to go into physical therapy with a specialization in neurological rehabilitation. At Queens she is a member of the track & field team as well as a member of the executive board for the Student-Athlete Advisory Council. Emily is a member of the Alpha Omicron chapter of Kappa Delta and is the VP of Events and Programming for her chapter. She also volunteers for Heart Math Tutoring as a tutor to help elementary students learn fundamental math skills. Emily was also recently awarded the ASUN Winners for Life award for her performance in athletics and academics
Yin Yin Tan – University Scholarship Recipient
Yin Yin is currently studying Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of California, Berkeley. As she prepares to enter her junior year this fall, she is driven by a strong interest in artificial intelligence and the front-end aspects of design. Her academic pursuits are focused on exploring innovative solutions through technology. Recently, she was honored as a winner of the S1XT33N Bee Design Contest, awarded by the EECS Department in May 2024. Her project, the Smart PPG Heart Rate Monitor Car (SIXB3AT), earned the “Real-World Impact” distinction for its potential in emergency medical settings. Upon completing her program, her aim is to work in environments that prioritize impactful engineering solutions, contributing significantly to the fields of AI and design.
Marissa Valencia Godinez – Tillamook Bay Community College Recipient
Marissa is a first-generation college student and the daughter of two immigrant parents. She is studying towards a career in Elementary Education and currently works at the Tillamook Early Learning Center as a Teacher Assistant where she absolutely loves her job. She was born and raised in Tillamook County, and is entering her second year of college this upcoming fall term.
STEM Recognition Awards For High School Students
Each year we recognize local high schools students who excel in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering, and math). Students are nominated by their teachers
based on their passion and excellence in the field. This year, we did not hold our
signature event. Instead, we worked with each of the high schools to present the awards at ceremonies that were already scheduled. This new plan worked well and the following students received an award along with a $100 gift card presented in front of their peers. We
wish these student the best in their future endeavors.
Neah-Kah-Nie High School:
Jay Johansen, science;
Cat Fry, technology;
Mars Rombach, engineering;
Anna Roddy, math
Tillamook High School:
Naomi Travis, science
Nestucca High School:
Neri Tate, science
About TILLAMOOK Branch
The Tillamook branch of AAUW works together to promote the welfare, education, and rights of all women and girls.
With these goals in mind, the branch works on fundraising projects and other programs that promote math, science, and technology (STEM) education for girls by honoring nine high school women each year for their excellence in these fields and by providing thousands of dollars worth of scholarships for local women attending 2-and 4-year higher educational institutions.
Our community education projects include co-sponsorship of county spelling bees and the hosting of political forums so that citizens can meet the candidates and hear their views.