Bragg Scholarship Recipient and Chelan High School Graduate Taylor McClellan will pursue her doctorate in audiology at Pacific University this August.

Chelan, WA, June 25, 2014: Lake Chelan Community Hospital Foundation recently awarded $40,000 in college scholarships to 23 local recipients. The Foundation plans to provide $80,000 in scholarship awards to current and future healthcare professionals in the Lake Chelan Valley by the end of the year.   

In 1995 Edna Bragg gave over $1 million to Lake Chelan Community Hospital Foundation. Over $900,000 has been awarded to current and future healthcare professionals since the gift was made. Through careful management, the Foundation has grown the Bragg fund to $1.9 million.

“If Edna Bragg was here today, I would thank her for her generosity. I don’t know if you can ever really foresee the impact you can have on so many people by giving a gift like that,” said Scholarship Recipient Taylor McClellan. “I’m very grateful to her. Without scholarships, I wouldn’t be where I’m at now.”

McClellan is a 2010 graduate of Chelan High School. She completed her bachelor’s in speech hearing sciences from Washington State University in 2014 and will be pursuing her doctorate in audiology at Pacific University in Hillsboro, Oregon this August.

“You can make a huge difference in a child’s life by identifying hearing loss early. I’ve been a nanny to a three-year-old that had hearing loss, and he was misdiagnosed. Not identifying hearing loss accurately creates problems related to speech and a host of other issues,” said McClellan. 

One of the experiences that solidified McClellan’s commitment to pursuing her doctorate in audiology was a mission trip she took with Washington State University’s Speech, Language Pathology and Audiology Program last year to Zacapa, Guatemala. The team spent two weeks providing services to Guatemalan caregivers and educators with limited access to training.

“One man came in complaining of ringing in his ears. His symptoms were consistent with tinnitus. While there is no cure for the condition, I was able to explain what was happening and that his symptoms were typical of a known condition. Afterwards, he started to cry—I think he was extremely relieved to know what was going on in his body. That experienced made me realize how much impact caregivers can have on someone’s quality of life,” said McClellan.

Other Bragg College Scholarship recipients include: Chase Anderson, Kellie Brennan, Lisa Collins, Ondra Craw, Cheyenne Crose, Maghera DePaoli, Eva Escoto, Delena Eisenhard, Kerry Finerty, Jessica Galvan, Bryce Glore, Etta Godwin, Nesha Holloway, Kelsey Housden, Kaylie Kronbauer, Kilee Lippincott, Samantha Morrison, Leidy Reynada-Hall, Megan Robinson, Mandy Robison, Carin Stagge, Rachelle Youngren

The Lake Chelan Community Hospital Foundation actively manages donor contributions, bequests, memorials, donor advised funds, endowments and an annual giving campaign. Each year the Foundation awards scholarships and assists the hospital to purchase necessary equipment to improve patient care.

The Foundation is incorporated and recognized by the Internal Revenue Service as a 501(c)(3) non-profit charitable organization. Contributions are tax deductible under IRS regulations. For additional information, contact Lake Chelan Community Hospital Foundation at 509-682-6125. Donations to the Foundation can be made at www.lcchfoundation.com or sent to PO Box 1911, Chelan, WA 98816.