SHELTON, WA – Mason Health is proud to announce that the Foundation Auxiliary and Centennial Guild chapters distributed $85,000 in scholarship funds to local students pursuing careers in healthcare. The two groups had a combined 37 scholarship recipients, with some students receiving funding from both to help start or further their educational journey.

For nearly 60 years, Mason Health Foundation Auxiliary has supported Mason Health initiatives through fundraising projects such as card parties, concerts, cookbooks, raffles, and bake sales. The ladies of the Auxiliary have volunteered at blood banks, Fantasy Forest, and other events. Their annual donations to Mason Health have helped purchase new hospital equipment. The Auxiliary’s primary focus for decades has been staffing and supporting the gift shop. All proceeds from the gift shop go directly to funding medical scholarships for graduating high school seniors, college students, and Mason Health employees pursuing healthcare education.

"It has been a pleasure for Auxiliary members to operate the Gift Shop at the hospital and award thousands of dollars in scholarships over the years to high school graduates and hospital employees, following many of them as they successfully complete their healthcare education,” said Auxiliary members Robbi Alberts and Carol Goodburn.

The Centennial Guild is a small, dedicated group of women committed to supporting the future of healthcare in Mason County. As a chapter of the Mason Health Foundation, its mission is to raise funds that help local students pursue an education in the medical field. The Guild was established in 1989 with the goal of providing items and support directly to Mason General Hospital. One of the members, Kristi Armstrong, worked as an RN at Mason General Hospital and played a key role in identifying the “little things” that made a big difference for patients and staff.

After Kristi’s unexpected passing in 2016, the Guild shifted focus from purchasing items for the hospital to providing scholarships – an effort that reflects her lifelong dedication to healthcare and education.

“The Centennial Guild is a small but mighty group of women (about 13) who raise scholarship money through two events we do each year, the Goldsborough Creek run and the Salish Cliffs golf tournament in the fall. The money raised from these events go towards our Kristi Armstrong Memorial scholarship,” said Kim McElliott, Centennial Guild member. “The scholarship is awarded to SHS seniors, Mason Health employees and others who are working or living in Mason County that are pursuing a career in the medical field. The Scholarship Committee was thrilled with how many people applied this year.”

Mason Health Foundation Auxiliary awarded 18 scholarships totaling $30,000 in funding for the 2026-2027 academic year.

• Cohen Holzgrove, Shelton High School (attending Oregon State University to study Kinesiology)
• Tatiana Murillo-Banderas, Shelton High School (attending South Puget Sound Community College to study Pre-Nursing)
• Emma Oleachea, Shelton High School (attending Eastern Washington University to study Nursing)
• William Webb, Shelton High School (attending Washington State University to study Neuroscience)
• Hailey LaCelle, Shelton High School (attending Washington State University to study Human Biology)
• Dwayne Nunez-Lopez, Shelton High School (attending University of Washington to study Cellular Biology and Genetics)
• Xiomara Sanchez-Barajas, Shelton High School (attending University of Washington to study Public Health)
• Annora Smith, Shelton High School (attending Willamette University to study Medical Genetics)
• Morgan Elissalde, Technical Assistant at Mason Health Lab (studying Nursing at Olympic College)
• Iris Hilburger, Certified Nursing Assistant in Medical Surgical Pediatrics at Mason General Hospital (studying Nursing at University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh)
• Julia Solano-Martinez, Saint Martin’s University (studying Nursing)
• Linda Cook, Certified Medical Assistant at Mason Clinic-Primary Care (studying Nursing at Clover Park Technical College)
• Aristina Uribe-Florea, Rehab Aide at Mason Health Physical Therapy (studying Nursing at South Puget Sound Community College)
• Violeta Remigio-Lopez, Saint Martin’s University (studying to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor)
• Morgen Shrum, University of Portland (studying Nursing)
• Andrea Lopez, Certified Medical Assistant at Mason Clinic-Primary Care (studying Nursing at South Puget Sound Community College)
• Lillian Sawvel, Certified Nursing Assistant in Medical Surgical Pediatrics at Mason General Hospital (studying Nursing at Olympic College)
• Katelynn Wade, Laboratory Assistant at Mason Health Laboratory (studying Nursing at South Puget Sound Community College)

The Centennial Guild awarded 19 scholarships totaling $55,000 in funding for the 2026-2027 academic year.

In total, Mason Health Foundation awarded $95,000 in scholarship funds this year, including the inaugural Mason Health Foundation Hospitalist Group Fund, supporting Mason Health’s workforce development strategy for our local community. Congratulations to all our new and returning scholarship awardees. We wish you success in your studies and all future endeavors!

Mason Health, Public Hospital District No. 1 of Mason County is ISO 9001 Quality Management System certified by Det Norske Veritas (DNV) and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. The Board of Hospital District Commissioners are Don Welander, President, Lori Brady, Secretary, and Pamela Schlauderaff, Trustee. Mason General Hospital and Mason Clinic are ENERGY STAR® certified and Mason Health is the recipient of one Practice Greenhealth Environmental Excellence Award, three Partner for Change Awards, two Greening the Operating Room Awards, the Making Medicine Mercury Free Award, the 2025 Emerald Award, and the 2026 Greenhealth Champion Award. To learn more about Mason Health’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.masonhealth.com/about/sustainability-environmental-stewardship. There are more than 100 physicians on staff in 19 specialties. For more information or to find a health care provider, visit www.masonhealth.com. To learn more about DNV, visit
www.dnv.com/healthcare.

##