The Charbonneau Villager Newspaper 2019 July issue Villager Newspaper | Page 12

12 THE CHARBONNEAU VILLAGER
July 2019
SpringRidge at
Charbonneau
By KERRY PHILLIPS
Dreams soar at SpringRidge
with scholarships for
local students
A
t SpringRidge at Charbon-
neau, the sense of commu-
nity and family extends
beyond the residents at
the active retirement community. It
includes the many high school stu-
dents who are part of the Spring-
Ridge staff as well.
“When you move to SpringRidge,
you learn rather quickly about the
positive and caring relationship that
exists between the students and resi-
dents,” said resident Carl Hanacek,
who serves as the chairman of the
Resident Council. “Unlike a traditional
restaurant where you may be served
by an impartial waiter, the students
truly develop relationships with us.
We often ask about their academics
and sporting events and some of the
students affectionately refer to us as
their surrogate grandparents.”
Carl, his neighbors and the staff at
SpringRidge recently showered the
students who were part of the Class of
2019 with extra special love, hosting a
graduation ceremony at the communi-
ty. The graduates’ family and friends
were also invited to attend the event.
Seven students, who work part-time
in SpringRidge’s onsite restaurant,
The Charbonneau Room, were recog-
nized for their accomplishments. Each
received a heartfelt letter from resi-
dents along with $600 as a token of
their appreciation. Additionally, the
SpringRidge Resident Council award-
ed scholarships to several honorees.
Five students received $2,500 each
to further their education, which for
many, offers the freedom to achieve
their dreams. Recipients were: Meris-
sa Berge, Erika Berger, Jan Bermudez,
Kira Goepferd and Jennifer Gomez Lo-
pez. To date, more than $110,000 in
scholarship money has been awarded.
“One of my favorite things is mak-
COURTESY PHOTOS
SpringRidge scholarship recipient Jennifer Gomez
Lopez with resident John Grove. SpringRidge hosts a graduation ceremony for students who worked onsite.
ing residents smile,” said Jennifer,
who has worked at the community
since October 2017. “I share all of my
achievements with the residents and
getting this scholarship is a huge ac-
complishment for me since I have
been working so hard all year. I’m
thankful for this huge privilege to be
part of the SpringRidge team.”
The Canby High School graduate
will attend Oregon State University in
the fall.
“I’m the first person in my family to
go to college so this is really a dream
for me, as well as my family,” she said.
“I’ll be studying biological sciences,
pre-med with the goal of becoming a
doctor.”
The tradition of awarding college
scholarships to seniors serving in the
dining services department began in
1998 when Danny Fernando, Spring-
Ridge’s Food Service Department,
wanted to recruit area high school
students.
“I saw a flyer in a supermarket of-
fering an incentive for students who
maintained a certain grade point aver-
age,” he explained. “I wanted to use
that as our model but felt we needed
to make it better. The scholarship pro-
gram was the result of a brainstorm-
ing session with our then executive di- rector.”
Danny later reached out to Spring-
Ridge’s Resident Council, hoping to
make the program a community-wide
initiative. The Council agreed to take
on - and fully fund - the “Graduates
Scholarship.”
Monies for the scholarship are a re-
sult of sales at SpringRidge’s onsite
gift shop, Le Petit, and through private
donations by the community’s resi-
dents. The community’s crafters also
generously donate proceeds from the
sale of their items to the fund as well.
SpringRidge recruits students from
approximately 10 local high schools,
though most of the student workers
attend Canby and North Marion high
schools. The scholarship is open to
any graduating senior who enrolls
full-time in an accredited two- or four-
year institution in the fall of the year
in which they graduate. The Spring-
Ridge Scholarship Committee evalu-
ates the applicants in six categories
including statement of future educa-
tional plans, summary of activities
and an evaluation by their Spring-
Ridge supervisor.
“The committee set a record with
five $2,500 scholarships,” explained
Carl. “The Class of 2019 was simply
outstanding. Not only were their aca-
demics exceptional, but they had
strong recommendations from their
school and SpringRidge managers.”
According to Danny, many of the
teens often return to the community
to work even after they’ve enrolled in
college. It’s not unusual for the restau-
rant to be filled with familiar faces
during college breaks.
“Many have even continued work-
ing full time upon graduation,” he
said. “Our Dining Room Supervisor
Efrain Sanchez, for example, started
with us as a junior in high school,
serving as a busboy. He has been with
the community for over 10 years.”
Nestled on an impeccable, 10-acre
parcel of natural beauty and serenity,
SpringRidge at Charbonneau is locat-
ed in one of Oregon’s most desirable
master-planned residential communi-
ties. The SpringRidge at Charbonneau
campus offers a comprehensive menu
of lifestyle options including CARF-ac-
credited independent living as well as
assisted living and memory care ser-
vices. For more information or to
schedule a personal tour, please call
503-446-6250 or visit www.Spring-
RidgeatCharbonneau.com” www.
SpringRidgeatCharbonneau.com.