Submitted by

Gretchen Wing.

In the darkening months, one might assume that the only people thinking about college scholarships are seventeen-year-olds and their families. Wrong! December is exactly when the Lopez Island Community Scholarship Foundation is looking ahead to spring, and welcoming two new board members, Craig Citro and Claudia Rempel.

Claudia is especially pleased to join in the planning. A Lopezian since 2015, Claudia moved here from Altadena, CA with her husband Jeremy and their two children, Ana-Sophia and Silas. Before the family moved, Claudia was a stay-at-home mom, very involved in the PTA group for her daughter’s elementary school and Girl Scout Troop. Her husband grew up in the North Seattle area, and the Rempels wanted to relocate near his family, so they spent several summers vacationing on Lopez before deciding that, yes, a country life suited them.

Both children attend Lopez School, and since 2016, Claudia has served as Operations Manager at the Lopez Island Library. “I love it!” reports Claudia, an avid reader. Other hobbies include quilting and spending time with her kids, and she delights in watching British murder mysteries.

Claudia met LICSF board members Tom Cowan and Steve Adams through another project and so, she relates, “I was delighted to accept another chance to work with them. They both care deeply for the island and the school, and it seemed a worthwhile investment [of time and energy]. Scholarships are so essential in bridging the equality gap for students and highlighting opportunities that otherwise would be unattainable.”

These are more than mere platitudes for Claudia; she speaks from personal experience. “Scholarships enabled me to attend a private, liberal arts college in Los Angeles,” she says, an opportunity that would have been “completely out of reach for my family. Not only did money help,” Claudia adds, “but those who mentored me through those opportunities provided guidance and support through that journey.”

Stay tuned for more updates from the Lopez Island Community Scholarship Foundation, including an introduction to our other new board members, as well as profiles with recent scholarship recipients. And if you, like Claudia Rempel, are interested in collaborating with people who share a similar vision for continuing education for Lopez students, or for supporting their work, please visit LICSF.org.