That LNG Welding Scholarship Program -- Grassroots People Forum

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Date Posted: 20:32:38 03/23/10 Tue
Author: Patrick McGee (From CCC Newspaper)
Author Host/IP: 97-120-184-119.ptld.qwest.net / 97.120.184.119
Subject: That LNG Welding Scholarship Program

The Daily Astorian”
may have missed its mark
with the Renee Clark
story headline, “Students’
welding scholarship falls
apart.” “Student gets hit by
car and then scholarship is
removed” would fit better
in my opinion.
The story doesn’t get any
better. Renee Clark, who
is a promising welding
student, received financial
aid from LNG to complete
a course called “Workers in
Welding” at the M.E.R.T.S.
campus to begin a career in
her profession.
LNG yanked funding
from a number of students,
including Clark, who
have been left scrambling
to remedy the situation.
In LNG’s defense, the
funding was supposed to
last only two years, which
is a completely different
understanding from what
Clark had. After being
struck by a car and also
being diagnosed with
cervical spinal stenosis,
the progress of her welding
certificate took a back seat
to rehabilitation. As a result,
LNG pulled her funding,
stating her time was up.
Clark found this out by
making a routine check on
her status before classes
started.
What’s troubling is that
LNG is still capitalizing on
Clark. She became a radio
activist for LNG during their
commercial broadcasts by
saying, “[LNG]...is going
to pump tax dollars and
jobs into the community.”
Clark resents it every time
it gets aired.
Another victim of the
LNG scholarship situation
is former welding student
Bobbie Isom. Isom shared
her feelings through an
online comment on the
“Astorian’s” website:
“I’m not mad that they
decided not to renew the
scholarships for this 2009-
2010 school year as I know
that the scholarships were
all for public appearance
sake anyways, but what
does anger me is that they
didn’t even try to contact
me to let me know.”
It’s not as though they
broke it off at the beginning.
These students, including
Clark, were beyond the
halfway point of graduating
in their class, before finding
out LNG-based funding was
no longer an option. This
move is quite upsetting,
especially in today’s
economy. LNG could not
give these students the
courtesy of a phone call
before the possibility of
being embarrassed/outraged
in public.
“A little more notice
would have left me some
time to arrange or apply for
other scholarships,” Isom
wrote.
This is the same company
who is lobbying to gain
entry into our community.
I believe this episode
tells us more about the
inner workings of the
controversy about LNG,
and we should proceed with
more caution that has been
shown to date. I understand
the fact that maybe there
was a time limit, but in
Clark’s situation she had
to overcome two hurdles
that would debilitate almost
anyone. So my question to
LNG is, what’s wrong with
an extension? After all isn’t
financial aid designed to
help people who are less
fortunate than others? Who
would be more deserving

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Replies:

Re: That LNG Welding Scholarship Program -- obiorah john, 06:59:34 12/20/12 Thu (static-75-241.lhr.nokia.net/66.54.75.241)