Skip to list of 2024 Scholarship Recipients
In mid-March the Al Forthan Memorial Scholarship awarded a total $124,000 to 42 Oregon High School students. This is the most given in a single year by VOA Oregon to students impacted by the realities of addiction and poverty in their families. And, after 18 years the scholarship passed another milestone by awarding a lifetime amount of $1 million dollars to 585 students as they pursue high education.
Formed in 2006 after the passing of Al Forthan, VOA Oregon’s first alumni staff member of the Men’s Residential Center, the scholarship has charged recipients with exploring how addiction has impacted our community and to find solutions to this complex problem. Beyond honoring the legacy of Al, the scholarship aims to break generational poverty for the students it supports by providing financial support in achieving a college education.
Marissa Pasaye-Elias, Al Forthan Scholarship Recipient“Substance abuse and addiction run deep in my family and in countless others I know. I saw myself in Al, who I wanted to be, and why I did. I realized that in this next stage of my life I wanted to make a change. The Al Forthan Scholarship has helped me do this.”
On May 1st the Al Forthan Scholarship holds their 13th annual awards ceremony to celebrate recipients. In honor of their achievement, keynote speaker Oregon State Senator Chip Shields will present alongside current and former recipients of the scholarship.
RSVP Today:
13th Annual Al Forthan
Scholarship Awards Ceremony
2024 Al Forthan Scholarship Recipients
- Taylor Gates (OA #36)— Molalla High School —$10,000
- Lilly Knight (OA#42)— Sam Barlow High School —$10,000
- Aiyana Metta (OA #28)— Glide High School —10,000
- Elliot Polevoi (OA #15)— Warrenton High School—$10,000
- Ray Prock-Hallock (OA#21)— Warrenton High School —$10,000
- Evie West (OA #3)—Ridgeview High School —$10,000
- Tatum Wilson (OA #10)— Beaverton High School —$10,000
- Matthew Avalos (OA#4)— Liberty High School —$6,000
- Alanna Heyworth (OA #35)— David Douglas High School —$6,000
- Alivya Huttema (OA#45)— New Hope Christian School —$6,000
- Emma Oxenhandler (OA#31)— Corvallis High School —$6,000
- Another $30,000 was awarded to 31 students.
Support VOA Oregon’s Endowed Scholarship Fund
Volunteers of America Oregon, in partnership with an anonymous donor, are establishing an endowment to support the Al Forthan Memorial Endowed Scholarship in perpetuity. The establishment of a scholarship endowment represents a transformative commitment to education for these students who have faced drug or alcohol abuse in their homes, or who are survivors of domestic violence. This enduring financial source ensures that generations to come will have access to educational opportunities, regardless of their financial circumstances. Endowed funds reflect a visionary investment in human potential, embodying the belief that education is a powerful catalyst for positive change.
Start Change Today.
