Santa Maria Sun / School Scene

Cottage Hospital auxiliary offers scholarships

BY CAMILLIA LANHAM

The Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital Auxiliary is accepting applications for scholarships from students pursuing education in the health and medical fields.

TREE CELEBRATION: Rice Elementary School teacher Mike Muscio taught his students how to plant oak seeds at Los Flores Park during a field trip with Santa Maria Recreation and Parks in 2012. Third-grade students at Pinegrove Elementary will do the same on March 8 of this year as part of the Recreation and Parks celebration of Arbor Day. PHOTO COURTESY OF SANTA MARIA RECREATION AND PARKS

The Cottage Hospital Auxiliary awarded three $3,000 scholarships in 2012. Applications for 2013 will be accepted through March 13.

“The Hospital Auxiliary raises every single cent for these scholarships through their incredible volunteer efforts,” Cottage Hospital vice president Wende Cappetta said in a press release.

Scholarships are offered to seniors from Santa Ynez Valley Union High School or high school graduates who have good academic standing and have already been accepted to the school of their choice.

Winners will be contacted in April and are required to attend and accept their check at the hospital auxiliary’s annual Thank You Picnic on April 24.

The auxiliary is an all-volunteer organization that provides more than 18,000 hours of service to the hospital each year. Instructions and the scholarship application packet can be found at the Cottage Health System website, cottagehealthsystem.org. Click on the “our hospitals” tab and select “Santa Ynez Valley Cottage Hospital.”

Santa Ynez Valley High School seniors need to fill out a different scholarship application by calling 688-6487, Ext. 3208.