The Virginia Palmer Memorial Scholarship, begun in 2010, is named after Virginia Palmer, a beloved AAUW-Tucson member. Virginia, or “Ginny,” was an extraordinary woman, who showed us the importance of genuine commitment to the causes we believe in.  She mentored us to serve others as passionately as she did, especially in developing educational and economic opportunities for women and girls.  Ginny represented in the truest way the spirit of AAUW.

The goal of the Virginia Palmer Memorial Scholarship (VPMS) is to support women who are transitioning back into education to fulfill personal and career goals.  The Virginia Palmer Memorial Scholarship provides recipients  with a $500 Scholarship per semester towards tuition, books and fees.

The Virginia Palmer Memorial Scholarship is awarded to Pima Community College students who have demonstrated the will to balance their personal and work lives with continuous academic effort and success.  AAUW works directly with Pima Community College in their selection.

The Virginia Palmer Memorial Scholarship is renewable, depending on recipients meeting scholarship requirements.

We owe a tremendous debt of gratitude to Nancy Woodling, who established the Virginia Palmer Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund and to Sue Banfield’s estate whichprovided additional funds to fully fund the endowment to her alma mater.

Rosa Morales, the first VPMS scholarship recipient, received her Associate’s Degree in Social Work from PCC, and her B.S.W (Bachelor of Social Work) from ASU in May 2015.

2015 VPMS scholarship recipients included  Rachel Gahan, Monica Lujan, and Michelle Walker.  Subsequent recipients supported were Vannessa Green, Melanie Gunningham, Michelle Bowman, Lena Dorrel, Alexandra Durazo, and Kerry Maller.

Our 2019 recipients are: Stephanie Mickle — Human Resources, and Ashely Holguin — Liberal Arts.