City of Sonoma Councilwoman Laurie Gallian has donated $1,800 – six months of her council pay – to Ryan Poore, a graduate of Sonoma Valley High’s class of 2009.
Poore, 18, will attend Santa Rosa Junior College in the fall to become a certified welder and certified diesel mechanic. His high school senior project was on biodiesel, which he uses in his truck. He said as a diesel mechanic, he intends to advocate biodiesel’s use because it helps reduce greenhouse gases.
Gallian funded the scholarship by deferring her $300 monthly council pay. She said she was motivated to provide a scholarship after learning that the junior college’s Doyle scholarships would not be available for the 2009/2010 school year. She wanted to help a student who planned to pursue vocational study at SRJC and had demonstrated a desire to improve the environment.
“Because of the lack of Doyle scholarships, I wanted to make sure the opportunity was presented to a local student to help him or her attend the JC,” Gallian said.
She hopes others with financial means will respond to the lack of Doyle scholarships to help deserving junior college students.
The high school’s scholarship selection committee, chaired by retiring counselor Patty McFerrin, conducted the process of choosing the Sonoma Sustainability Scholarship winner.
