Washtenaw Community College

Four years ago, after Rachelle Rose gave birth to her child, she decided that she wanted to pursue a career in the nursing field and in Labor and Delivery in particular. But her decision was sealed when her father, who had been on dialysis for years, passed away in 2002.

"Because I was in the Nursing program here my family looked to me to answer questions about my father's health," says Rose. "I realized that I had to know what all these terms meant."

For the last three semesters Rose has been assisted with scholarships from the Foundation. This semester Rose received the Lloyd H. Haas scholarship established by Jake and Anne Haas in memory of Jake's father. Jake realizes that funding scholarships through the Foundation is a good idea because it plays a unique role in the community. "I look at WCC as a golden egg for the community, a tremendous resource. I've watched the College evolve since 1965 to become a dominant force in educating our workforce," says Haas.

"I want to give back to the community that was so good to me and my family," says Rose.

The Nursing program at WCC is one of the toughest in the state and Rose is working hard to prepare herself for the state certifying exam. Without the support from the Foundation she would never be so close to her educational goal.

"I recently met a man in his 30s who thought it was too late to start his career. I told him that it is never too late and that WCC can help. WCC helps financially and offers classes that can fit into a busy schedule. I told him there's no excuses."