Warm story for a Stormy Winter
Graduate encouraged to chase his dream
John Wennberg: Picture of Perseverance
Les and Vista Anderson were among 94 individuals, families, organizations and businesses whose belief in higher education have made the Scholarship Foundation of Northshore the highly successful place to go for college scholarships in our communities.
In 1994 the Andersons gave their entire estate of $220,000 to the Foundation to provide $1,000 scholarships to those in need of the financial wherewithal to pursue their next goal in life. The Andersons had no children. Les was director of maintenance and transportation for the Northshore School District. Both were avid golfers and supported the Kiwanis Club of Northshore.
It is always heartwarming to hear just how instrumental a scholarship has been in the lives of our scholarship winners. One fine example is a 1997 graduate of Inglemoor whose story is revealed below in today’s News from Hughes. Our scholarship alum was featured in the East Side edition of the Seattle Times upon his graduation.
“Hello, my name is John Wennberg, and it is my honor and privilege to share that I was a past recipient of the Les and Vista Anderson Memorial Scholarship in 1997. First, I want to say thank you to the Scholarship Foundation for the support you gave me to continue my education.
“When I graduated from Inglemoor high school in 1997 I applied for and received a scholarship for $1,000. The next Fall I started school at Shoreline Community College and graduated with a Certificate of Proficiency in PC Technology Support in 2002 from the Computer Information Systems program. While I was at Shoreline I got a job on campus as a Computer Lab Aid, and worked in the Tech Department from 1999 to 2001. I was then promoted to Tech Support for the Help Desk, a job I held for four more years. I'm a people person and this job was a great fit for me. When funding for this position was eliminated, it was time to move on.
“In 2006 I went back to school at Edmonds Community College, where I completed a two-year Associates of Technical Arts degree in Business Management, I did some volunteer work at the Bothell Library, at Woodin Elementary School library, and worked at the Snohomish County Court House as a file clerk. But I always wanted to help others with disabilities and dreamed of having my own business.
“While I was at Edmonds CC, in one of my business classes, I actually developed the business plan for my future career as an entrepreneur and business owner of CAT Enterprises LLC, which stands for coaching and technology. What I do is tutor people with disabilities and their families on the use of the computer systems and applications to help them connect to the larger community, I have taught classes on “How to Use Technology to Make Your Dreams Come True”. I am also a public speaker and author of The Empty Chair: How God Came to Find Me, which is available at Third Place Books In Lake Forest Park.
“I have always been a singer and have been singing in the church choir since I was 12 years old. I bowl with Special Olympics, take Zumba classes and love to read books, with the help of technology.”
“My advice to anyone out there is to never stop learning no matter where you're at and never give up on your dreams.” - John Wennberg
NOTE: John and his mother are active participants in the work of Bernadette Bascom’s Music as Language program designed to develop communication skills for those with verbal limitations. We’ll develop a future edition on Bernadette’s work.
Merry Christmas. Wishing you a pleasant Holiday season.
In the next issues, we will introduce our readers to our most recent Donor Partners Jeff Mash and Kathleen Eggers…and will discuss the Foundation’s goals for 2023 as we prepare to award our five-millionth scholarship dollar in our 40th anniversary year of 2024.
