Sidebar Stopping by PEO
P.E.O., which promotes women’s education, is one of the reasons new teacher Mariana Fernandez was able to graduate with two degrees from Linfield University.
Then a sophomore, Fernandez was working in her family’s McMinnville restaurant in 2022 when she met a P.E.O. member who told the Fernandez family about potential scholarships from the organization
“The P.E.O. was wonderful. It was nice to see an organization that helps young women in college,” Fernandez said.
She was amazed by P.E.O.’s process for awarding funds, as well. In addition to submitting an application, Fernandez had an in-person interview with the scholarship committee.
“They had tea and biscuits,” she said. “It felt more like a conversation than an interview.”
The local group submitted her application to the state level, which awarded her $4,700. The scholarship made a significant difference in her being able to complete her education, Fernandez said.
“Super, super helpful,” she said.
Fernandez, who lives in Lafayette and teaches first-grade at Wascher Elementary School, is one of 228 students who shared in $448,495 in scholarships and loans from Oregon’s 170 P.E.O. chapters in 2023-24.
The international organization’s 4,500 chapters as a whole have given out more than $435 million to more than 125,000 recipients since 1907.
Founded by seven friends on Jan. 21, 1869, the Philanthropic Educational Organization now has a quarter of a million members in the U.S. and Canada. In Yamhill County, 250 members belong to P.E.O.’s chapters, four of which are in McMinnville and two in Newberg.
They support the organization’s mission statement, P.E.O. — Where Women Motivate, Educate and Celebrate Women.
Like the founders, today’s members are “passionate about improving the lives of women and helping them advance through education, while supporting and motivating them,” according to local P,E.O. representatives.
“As a sisterhood, we understand the importance of supporting each other and promoting and funding P.E.O. projects,” said Kelley Kennedy, president of McMinnville Chapter FH.
FH and other chapters distribute funds raised at events and donated by members.
“We help local women pursue educational goals,” Kelley said, noting that P.E.O. offers funds to students of all ages. The sisterhood also owns Cottey College, a four-year school for women.
Women can apply for a P.E.O. scholarship, grant or loan should go to peointernational.org or peooregon.org.
Comments