Alumni Association scholarship applications open
JOEL MARTIN | Hagadone News Network | UPDATED 9 months, 2 weeks AGO
The Moses Lake Alumni Association scholarship award recipients for 2025. Applications will be open in January accepted for 2026 scholarships, according to MLAA Secretary Susan Blackwell.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO/MOSES LAKE ALUMNI ASSOCIATION
Joel Martin has been with the Columbia Basin Herald for more than 25 years in a variety of roles and is the most-tenured employee in the building. Martin is a married father of eight and enjoys spending time with his children and his wife, Christina. He is passionate about the paper’s mission of informing the people of the Columbia Basin because he knows it is important to record the history of the communities the publication serves. | December 31, 2025 3:00 AM
MOSES LAKE — The Moses Lake Alumni Association will begin accepting applications for 2026 in January, Association Secretary Susan Blackwell wrote in an announcement to the Columbia Basin Herald.
Applications will be available at the counseling offices at Moses Lake High School, the Digital Learning Center, Vanguard Academy and Big Bend Community College, according to the announcement.
The MLAA funds the scholarships through donations from its own members and others in the community, according to the announcement. In addition, graduating classes will sometimes band together at their class reunions to fund scholarships, Blackwell told the Columbia Basin Herald in a previous interview. The class of 1962, for instance, donated eight scholarships in memory of former Moses Lake High School teacher and coach Gary Frey, who passed away in December 2022. Individual MLAA members also honor loved ones by donating to the scholarship fund. To apply, students fill out an application form and submit transcripts and letters of recommendation, as well as a letter stating what their goals are, Blackwell told the Columbia Basin Herald. Then those applications are ranked by a committee within the association.
The number and amount awarded vary according to how much money is available, Blackwell wrote.
In 2025, 12 students received scholarships, according to Columbia Basin Herald archives.
The MLAA has awarded $280,000 worth of scholarships since its inception in 2007, Blackwell wrote.
The 2026 recipients will be honored at a special event in April or May, Blackwell wrote. The MLAA’s board also attends Honors Night at Moses Lake High School.
The MLAA welcomes new members to join the monthly meetings, from October through May, or to participate in the Scholarship Committee in February and March. Members who only wish to support financially are very welcome and necessary, she added.
Further information may be obtained through the Moses Lake Alumni Association Facebook page, by email at [email protected] or by mail to P.O. Box 1446, Moses Lake, WA 98837. Membership dues are $5 per year. Donations are tax-deductible as the MLAA is a nonprofit organization.
ARTICLES BY JOEL MARTIN
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COLUMBIA BASIN — Whether you feel like shopping, crafting, learning or seeing a show, there’s something happening for you this week in the Basin. Oct. 16 ‘My Family (Mi Familia)’ screening Spanning three generations, “My Family (Mi Familia)” is a heartfelt drama that follows the Sánchez family as they build their lives in East Los Angeles. Through love, hardship, triumph, and sacrifice, the film explores the immigrant experience, the strength of family bonds, and the traditions that connect one generation to the next. Lowrider show and taco truck before the screening. Sponsored by Columbia Basin Allied Arts, EDUBS C/S and the Moses Lake Creative District. $12 per person. Doors open at 6 p.m., film begins at 7 p.m. at the Moses Lake Civic Center Auditorium, 401 S. Balsam St. Tickets and info: www.cba-arts.org.
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