By Joy Wick

Kara Nowak has a unique perspective on the power of scholarships and student aid.  

As a counselor with Fox Valley Technical College’s Student Services for the past nine years and former counselor and current board member with the Doug & Carla Salmon Foundation, she has seen the impact on students financially and mentally. 

“I wholeheartedly believe that scholarships truly make a difference to our students' and families’ lives,” Kara says.  

“I often talk to students who receive a Salmon Foundation scholarship, and they honestly can’t believe this kind of generosity exists. I have to agree with them. Doug and Carla Salmon have had a profound impact. Not only are they making a financial impact, but also an emotional deposit in each student who receives a scholarship.” 

More than 370 FVTC students have benefitted from Salmon Foundation scholarships since the partnership began in 2002. FVTC annually receives additional Salmon Foundation support to help single parents and students who have financial barriers receive short term training. In total, the Foundation has contributed more than $1.16 million in student aid at FVTC. 

“The FVTC Foundation is an excellent steward of our grants, selects the recipients of our scholarships, and assists us in our efforts to support students overcoming obstacles as they navigate through their education,” says Theresa Braatz, Salmon Foundation executive director. 

Salmon Foundation scholarships are available to students motivated to succeed in school and graduate with the ability to find a job that pays a wage that comfortably supports their family. Recipients are often single parents, first generation students and returning students who are overcoming significant barriers. In addition to scholarships at FVTC and other colleges, the Foundation provides financial support to local charitable organizations including the new Appleton Public Library, the Seeds of Hope Endowment at FVTC and Feeding America Northeast Wisconsin. 

A supporting organization of the Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region, the Salmon Foundation has supported more than 1,000 students, often with scholarships over multiple semesters through graduation. The Salmon Foundation has provided more than $7 million in grants since its inception. 

“That’s an impressive figure to think about. I just think about how many people’s lives are made better by the Foundation. It makes me feel good to think about having had a hand in helping those people,” says Carla Salmon, who created the Foundation with her husband, Doug, who passed away in 2017. 

“I feel honored in so many ways that I’m able to be able to do this, and that we are as able to help so many people. The letters of gratitude that we get are just amazing. Sometimes we get a letter five or 10 years later saying, ‘This is where I am in my life now and it’s because of getting the scholarship and getting through school’.” 

Scholarship recipients meet with one of the four Salmon Foundation counselors each semester to review grades, evaluate changes in financial need and offer encouragement for continued progress. Theresa, the Foundation’s executive director, said that 92 percent of scholarship recipients successfully complete their education and graduate. 

“The financial support is necessary, but the unique part of the Salmon scholarship program is the mentoring that comes with the money. We meet with our recipients every semester to make sure they feel supported and have someone to reach out to when life throws a curveball,” Theresa says.  

“What may seem like a minor problem to some can totally derail a person's education as the students juggle childcare, school, work and more. We offer insight into community resources, options for other assistance when needed and a friend to call for moral support.” 

FVTC student May Lag Thao never thought she would be the recipient of a scholarship. She struggled to graduate high school because of a learning disability. But thanks to help from the Salmon Foundation, she is pursuing her dream.  

“I’ve always wanted to take care of people and get into some kind of medical field,” says May, who is enrolled in the Surgical Technology associate degree program at FVTC’s Riverside Campus in Oshkosh. She also works part-time at a hospital as a telemetry technician monitoring patients’ heart rate. 

“(Receiving the Salmon Foundation scholarship) really motivated me to continue my education. I was about to give birth to my second child and thought about giving up. But once I got the scholarship, it really made me motivated to try even harder. It was like a calling to me saying, ‘Don’t stop’.” 

Doug and Carla Salmon have had a far-reaching impact on students but also on those who assist students, including Kara. “To say that Doug and Carla have personally impacted me is an understatement. Doug was a mentor to me and he has personally encouraged me in so many ways,” she says. 

“I hear from students who have received their gift, and it inspires them to want to give to others. The Salmon Foundation has left a legacy of giving, creating a beautiful chain of goodwill and generosity and I am so thankful for the impact they are having on our campus and community.”