All Sniffer members should be aware that at the May 2015 Element trial hosted by the club in Burien we held a fundraiser to benefit a student at the Puget Sounds Skills Center (PSSC). Many who attended the two days of trials heard poignant stories from students at this fantastic facility and how attending PSSC has changed their lives.  Donations were solicited from attendees and the club provided a matching grant program to make each donation dollar go even farther.  In the end we raised $1500 and a scholarship in the name of the club was created!  The PSSC Foundation evaluates all scholarship applications from numerous graduating students and they selected Celina Quintana to receive the K9 Sniffers scholarship for the school year beginning in September 2015.  Here is some information about ‘our’ scholarship recipient, written by one of her instructors.

Celina Quintana has been enrolled in the Fashion Design and Marketing program for the past two years. She is also attending Todd Beamer High School and finishing up her senior year in Running Start with Seattle Central College. In doing so she is taking her prerequisite for the Apparel Design degree, very well respected program within the nation. With all of her education she adds on an internship with Shah Safari a young men’s line being designed here near Queen Ann. She works with Manuel the designer 5 hours a week and has had the opportunities that very few 18 year olds are qualified to do.

Working with Spec Packets of garment to be manufactured overseas, measuring garments for actual fitting, and coordinating presentation boards for meetings with potential buyers of the line. Celina is one in a million and has since the first day I met her, truly wanting to learn all that she can to enhance her career, and future. Her work in the Fashion class is high quality and always within the “A” standards.

The problem solving qualities she has are beyond her years. More importantly her person skills, leadership and team work are exemplary. As her teacher, I can say that Celina will be an asset to whomever hires her after graduation from Seattle Central College. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my teaching career to see Celina grow, mature and develop into a wonderful young woman. We look forward to what is to come and we wish her well.

If you want to read the essay Celina wrote in support of her scholarship application you can see it here:  https://nwk9sniffers.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1305_001.pdf

Thanks to Courtney Searls-Ridge for organizing the fundraising effort and to everyone who donated.