Kitsap Credit Union believes that people in our communities should have the opportunity to make their dreams a reality by furthering their education. This year the Kitsap Credit Union’s Educational Grants Foundation has awarded six area students with post secondary education grants for the upcoming school year.

Central Kitsap Senior Nicole Torcolini, who was awarded the Diane E. Sugzda grant named after the retired Kitsap Credit Union President/CEO. It is given to a student displaying outstanding community service as well as academics. Nicole carries a 4.0 Grade Point Average and volunteers for a wide variety of community organizations including the Peninsula and Washington councils for the blind; Kitsap County Youth Court and Girl Scouts of America. She plans on attending Stanford University majoring in computer science.

Other recipients include twin sisters Dominica and Regina Ogazi. Dominica received the Bill Stremel grant that is named after a former KCU board member and is awarded to a student who will continue his or her education at a vocational school. Dominica plans on attending at The Culinary Institute of America. Regina will attend Seattle Pacific University. Both are seniors at Bremerton High School.

The remaining three grant winners are Central Kitsap senior Leanne Sweet who will be attending Brigham Young University to pursue a nursing degree; Gig Harbor senior Kelsey Baker who will attend Western Washington University in the fall majoring in elementary education and Bremerton High School student Krystle Membrere who will attend University of Southern California majoring in Engineering.

Kitsap credit Union was proud to award these students their scholarships at their 2008 annual meeting on March 24. Each student was awarded a $2,500 grant to aid in furthering their educational pursuits.

Kitsap Credit Union is a not-for-profit financial cooperative serving nearly 73,000 members from sixteen branch offices, and over 50 ATM’s in Washington state. Its Web site is kitsapcu.org.