Madison White named first recipient of the Dean Hansell Training Scholarship

SALEM -- The first recipient of the Dean Hansell Training Scholarship was presented with the scholarship award at the Sustainable Opportunity Development (SOD) Center Thursday.

Madison White received $2,500 to support her pursuit of a cosmetology certification at Raphael's School of Beauty Culture in Boardman. The 16-month,1,800-hour program covers all aspects of hair care including cutting, dying and other common treatments, waxing, nails and cosmetics. During the program White will gain direct experience working with real clients throughout their education and training.

"We're thrilled to have Madison as our first recipient. We felt her passion and just how long she's wanted to pursue a career in cosmetology, in addition to a desire to stay in the community, really made her application stand out," Sustainable Opportunity Development Center Executive Director Julie Needs said.

White has known she wanted to pursue a career in cosmetology for nearly her entire life, noting that her mother had attended Raphael's for her cosmetology certification and she's always wanted to follow in her footsteps.

"My mom went when I was 7 years old, and I was her model. So naturally I wanted to learn how to do what she did, and I started doing my friends hair and makeup. So I've pretty much always known this was what I wanted to do," White said.

Following the completion of her credentials White wants to apprentice under a more experienced cosmetologist for a time to polish and expand her skills before striking out on her own and starting her own booth.

The Dean Hansell Training Scholarship was endowed by Judge Dean Hansell in 2018 with a $10,000 donation. Hansell, an alumnus of Salem's Class of 1970, wanted to support community members looking to expand their skill sets after high school through avenues other than attending university.

Hansell originally approached the alumni association; however, alumni association Executive Director Audrey Null said that their scholarships have a minimum endowment of $100,000 and must be for pursuing a college degree.

"Given that Judge Hansell wanted to help any graduate pursue technical training, and the amount of the endowment, we felt his intentions could be best fulfilled through the SOD Center," said Null.

The scholarship offers applicants up to $2,500 in funding to Salem High School graduates of any age that have been accepted to an accredited vocational, technical, trade, certification training or credential program.

"Any Salem graduate pursuing their certification, credential or vocational training is eligible, whether they graduated in 2022 or 1958, doesn't matter, they are eligible to apply. This really is a fantastic opportunity to support upskilling or retraining into a new field," Needs said.

Eligible fields of study include, but are not limited to, advanced manufacturing, automotive technology, computer technology, construction, cosmetology, culinary arts, electrical, HVAC, health care, industrial maintenance, machining, plumbing or welding.

The application can be found on the SOD Center's website and is accepted on a rolling basis. It will be available as long as funding remains. Applications will be reviewed by a scholarship committee, with all decisions made by the SOD Center.

Preference is given to applicants who are currently unemployed or at risk, wish to remain in the Salem area, demonstrate a financial need, would like to expand their current skills or need to retrain for today's in demand careers.

mahart@mojonews.com