Columbia Basin Care Foundation awards $8,000 2024 in scholarships

“The Columbia Basin Care Foundation is the charitable arm of Columbia Basin Care, the region’s only independent, nonprofit, facility for short-stay rehabilitation and long-term care,” said the press release, “Since 2019, the Foundation has provided over $50,000 in scholarships to help grow and develop expertise of the local medical community.” The 2024 scholarship recipients are:

Nicole de la Cruz, of The Dalles, was awarded $2,500 to pursue her dream of being a dental hygienist here. The scholarship will enable her to prioritize spending time with her young family this summer while working full-time and filling in at the local hospital as needed. Once she reaches her career goal, she is hoping to use her skills on mission trips to South America or wherever she is needed.

Aleida Banuelos, a Hood River native, was awarded $2,500 to pursue a bachelor’s degree in nursing. Banuelos currently works at Columbia Basin Care as a Certified Nurse Assistant and is frequently recognized by her peers as a joy to work with and stands out to coworkers and residents alike for her happy and hardworking nature. “This is a wonderful opportunity that was handed to me” Banuelos said in the press release, “and I intend to make the best use of it that I can.”

Lisette Beltran-Juarez, of Mt.-Hood Parkdale, was awarded the Asher Anderson Award, a scholarship of $3,000 given in memory of Asher who passed in 2008 and for whom Columbia Basin Care established a scholarship tribute. According to the press release, the scholarship has allowed her to accept her place at University of Portland — her top choice in colleges. Upon graduation, Lissette intends to work as a social worker serving Spanish-speaking communities, with a focus on children in foster care.

“We received a large number of applications, and it was a joy to read through them and see all of the aspiring healthcare professionals in our community. We are grateful for those who applied and for those who continue to donate to the foundation to make scholarships like this available to our community,” Aubree Schreiner, Executive Director, said in the press release.

Columbia Basin Care is located at 1015 Webber St., The Dalles. To learn more or to donate to the Foundation, go to colbasin.com/foundation, or contact Aubree Schreiner, executive director, at 541-296-2156.