In Student Spotlight
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Shanika Scholarship Studenthanika is tough. She’s had to be. The mother of two will finish her practical nursing degree in December even though there have been nights this fall when she didn’t know where her family would sleep.

“I have to finish school even if I’m sleeping in a car,” she vowed.

With a disabled husband and the rising cost of local housing, Shanika is facing a tough time. Unfortunately, she’s been there before. As a child, she lived for a while in a homeless shelter.

“I have to make it. I don’t have a choice.”

Now, she’s determined to make a better life for her 7-year-old son and 10-year-old daughter and she knows education is the key. “Basically, I’ve had to set an example for my kids,” she said. “I have to make it. I don’t have a choice.”

Shanika’s dream of getting a nursing job that can support her family is within reach thanks to generous donors to the Olympic College Foundation.

 When she needed help to get through her last quarter of school, the Foundation was able to provide emergency funding and a scholarship to pay for tuition, books and expenses. “That’s the only way I’m able to go to school.”

Her long-term goal is to continue her education and become a social worker to help others get through tough times.

To the Foundation and the donors who helped her along the way, she has a few heartfelt words: “Thanks for the opportunity.”

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