Education is theirs to keep

COEUR d’ALENE — Abigail Fitzgerald said if there’s anything she learned in her time at Coeur d’Alene Charter Academy, it was this:

“Hard work and determination do pay off and they take you places like where I am today.”

And where the high school senior found herself Friday morning was centerstage, addressing a few hundred people at the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber’s annual scholarship breakfast at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.

Fitzgerald was one of 115 students who received $1,000 scholarships as they head off to continue their education. She said she was “incredibly grateful. It means a lot for students like me to have opportunities like this.”

More than $115,000 in scholarships was presented at the event that honored some of the area’s best and brightest young people.

Of that, $50,000 was donated by chamber businesses and $65,000 from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

Ten students received additional $500 scholarships for “Strength of Character Awards.”

And those who continue on to their second year of higher education can receive another $1,000 from the Coeur d’Alene Tribe.

“I want all 115 of you guys to be in school next year,” said Chief Allan, Coeur d’Alene Tribe chairman.

Allan shared advice he was told long ago: Education is one thing no one can ever take away.

“I think about that all the time,” he said 

He said he was injured in an accident last summer on Lake Coeur d’Alene, and had his knee replaced.

“But they didn't take my mind,” Allan said.

He told students that as they go through life they’ll move, accept job offers, buy houses and possibly lose everything, too. But not what they learned in their studies.

“Nobody can ever take that education away from you guys,” he said. “Remember that.”

Allan urged students to “go out there and grab life by the horns and tackle it.”

Keynote speaker Wendi Secrist, executive director of the Idaho Workforce Development Council, said one constant students will face is change.

“The pace of change is going to continue to increase and your success in the workforce will largely depend on your ability to adapt to that change,” she said.

Secrist said employees are looking for problem-solvers and those excited about finding new and better ways to do things.

She said Idaho needs 68% of its population to have more than a high school diploma to meet employers' needs. Each year, for the next 10, it’s expected that 100,000 new jobs will be created in the state.

Secrist expressed confidence in the graduates to meet that challenge.

“The state of Idaho, the community, we are all looking forward to what you’re going to do next,” she said.

Students were appreciative of the scholarships and praise.

“Your generosity and willingness to give back and improve our high school has opened doors for college offers,” said Andi Jane Howard, a senior at Coeur d’Alene High School. “I am so thankful to be a part of such a generous community.”

Tsones Nomee of Lakeside High School said students went through a lot to get to where they were Friday. He was pleased their efforts were noticed.

“I’m really grateful to receive this scholarship,” he said

Ashley Kerns of Lake City High School said each senior there “has dedicated their time to their education, and it is paying off, literally.”

The Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber Scholarship Program offers local businesses the opportunity to sponsor $1,000 scholarships awarded to high school seniors for post-secondary education. 

Linda Coppess, chamber president and CEO, said that historically, the chamber gave about five scholarships annually, but in 2022, the Tribe “changed the landscape” when it offered to match each $1,000 scholarship.

“Education has always been a top priority for the Coeur d’Alene Tribe, and in these uncertain times, it is even more critical to support our students," Allan said in a previous press release. “That is why the Tribe continues to step up and challenge the business community to join us in supporting our students.”

Coppess said that in 2022, after the Tribe’s first challenge, chamber members raised $106,000 in scholarships for 52 student recipients. That number grew to $222,000 in 2023, when 70 students received $2,000 for their first year, and an additional $1,000 incentive to stay in school for their second year.

Coppess urged business leaders to stand and continue to support the soon-to-be grads, act as mentors and perhaps provide summer internships or jobs when they complete college and return home.

“My ask of you is to stay in touch with these young individuals throughout their years at college," she said.

In turn, she called on students to look at the faces of the business leaders who provided the scholarships.

“I want you to memorize them. I want you to remember this group of people right here is for you,” Coppess said.

    Chief Allan, chairman of the Coeur d'Alene Tribe, smiles during the Coeur d’Alene Regional Chamber’s annual student scholarship breakfast at The Coeur d’Alene Resort on Friday.
  

    Peyton Duffield of Coeur d'Alene Charter Academy, center, laughs during Friday's annual student scholarship breakfast at The Coeur d’Alene Resort.