In 2021-22, we distributed $53,000 from the Wildflower Fund (Wildflower Run registrations, corporate sponsorships, and individual donations) in support of education and equity for women and girls. Due to the Covid-19 virus, some of our programming (such as Tech Trek and the National Conference for Women College Leaders (NCCWSL) were turned into virtual programs. The reduced expense associated with these virtual events enabled us to, for example, have additional middle school students participate in Tech Trek. Funds raised were directed to the following:

Provide scholarships to high school girls graduating from Morgan Hill Unified School District (MHUSD) schools.

Some of our 2022 High School Scholarship recipients with Scholarship Chair Stacy Moeder at AAUW’s spring lunch.

2022 High School Scholarship Recipients

Provide “Re-Entry” and “Deferred Entry” to local women reentering college after a gap in their education. Recipients may include women who have taken a break during college, women who have taken a break after high school before entering college, and/or women completing their GED at the Morgan Hill Community Adult School and now entering college.

All 2022 Re-Emtry/Deferred Entry scholarships were awarded to Morgan Hill Community Adult School graduates. Special thanks to Shannon Lane, Principal, Morgan Hill Community Adult School and Career Pathways, and MHCAS Counselor/Teacher Patty Healy for their support in identification of scholarship candidates.

L-R: Donna Dicker (AAUW MH Scholarship Chair), Patty Healy (MHCAS Counselor), Vicky Reader (AAUW MH Re-Entry/Deferred Entry Scholarship Chair)

2022 Students Receiving Re-Entry / Deferred Entry College Scholarships

Provide “Lauren Jenkins Healthcare Profession Scholarships” to college students from the Morgan Hill area who are pursuing a degree in a healthcare profession.

Provide a one time “Judy Garrett Nursing Scholarship” to a student pursuing a nursing degree. This is in memory of AAUW Morgan Hill member (and retired nurse) Judy Garrett. It was specially funded by Judy’s friends and family.

Provide a “Fritts Family STEM Scholarship” to college women from Morgan Hill or Gilroy who are already in college and planning to graduate from a 4-year school with a STEM (science, technology, engineering or math) degree.

This is an endowed scholarship providing a $1000 scholarship each year for 10 years.

Provide supplemental Keeping In Touch (KIT) grants to previous scholarship recipients to support them as they continue in their field of study.

Provide funding and mentorship for “Young Women Leaders”.

Typically, these local teens host an annual, all-day leadership conference. Due to Covid-19, the 2021 and 2022 conferences weres cancelled. Instead, the young women, under AAUW’s mentorship, initiated and participated in a variety of advocacy projects, with a focus on Climate Action and Diversity, Equity & Inclusion.

Provide Community Action Grants to local non-profit organizations for projects whose goals are consistent with AAUW’s mission.

Provide scholarships to send MHUSD Middle School students to Tech Trek, an AAUW-sponsored one week math and science summer camp at Stanford University for middle school girls.

This year, Tech Tech was again a virtual event; reduced costs enabled us to have 18 girls participate (instead of our usual 8 in person). Each camper remotely participated in STEM related conference discussions. Campers each also assembled and programmed a wearable robotic device from a kit of parts. They each verified their design via upload of an invention video.

2022 Tech Trek campers with Tech Trek coordinator Joy Safakish helping at the 2022 Wildflower Run

Sponsor a Morgan Hill women’s participation in the Leadership Morgan Hill class of 2022.

Underwrite national AAUW priorities. These include graduate fellowships for women, community action grants, pioneering research, public policy advocacy, legal advocacy, and leadership programs.

The $75,000 “Morgan Hill Wildflower Run Research and Projects Grant Endowment” (#4403) was established in 2014 and funding was completed with proceeds from the Wildflower Run in 2019. It now provides funding annually for community action and career development grants.

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Another branch endowment, the $100,000 “Blaine/Cate Endowment for Graduate Fellowships” (#1802) was completed in 2001. It funds an annual graduate or postgraduate fellowship.

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