2004 Scholarship Winners
 

Jaynie Stuth-Wetherbee of Redmond, WA has been awarded the Seattle chapter's $2000 endowed scholarship for the 2004-05 academic year at the Seattle Culinary Academy, located at Seattle Central Community College.  She is the second student to receive the coveted Les Dames Endowment which was established at the school in 2002 with a $37,000 donation from the chapter.

A single, working mother of two young girls, Wetherbee has maintained a 3.95 GPA through three quarters of the demanding six-quarter Culinary Arts program.  Although her volunteer time has been limited, her work in the community includes:  volunteering at EchoGlen Children's Rehabilitation Center teaching cooking classes, was Vice President in charge of fundraising for Tahoma Co-op Preschool, and also assisted at a Dine Around Dinner during the LDEI Annual Meeting in October 2003.  To reach her goal of working with aging population in a lifecare residential setting, she is honing her culinary skills and hopes to earn a degree in nutrition.

In addition to the scholarship, which is designated for a Washington State resident, the chapter awarded a $750 International Grant to Akane Takahashi, a second quarter Culinary Arts student who hails from Hiroshima, Japan.  Her goads include learning things she is unable to learn in Japan, exploring new culinary arts fields, and eventually opening her own restaurant.

The funds for this unique grant were generated at the chapter's annual meeting by a member's challenge to match donation and by an additional contribution.  The monies were designated as unrestricted funds and help in the Seattle Community College Foundation to be used in an area of greatest student need at the Culinary Academy.  Since Les Dames d'Escoffier is an international society, the chapter's scholarship committee and board saw the opportunity for a global approach to it's educational work.
 

The chapter's first scholar, Ellen King, will graduate in June after completing the rigorous Culinary Arts program at the Academy.  She is currently interviewing for a restaurant position and is well on her way to making her culinary dream of opening a small bistro come true.