By Emily von Buttlar
Executive Features Editor
English and Creative Writing teacher Shannon Vaughan expands her connections with students as she gives assistance to those in need through financial aid.
When Vaughan’s next door neighbor was 90 years old, they took care of each other as his wife had passed away. Vaughan created the Irvine Zipper Scholarship fund with the current owner of her late neighbor’s estate, David Levine. After the money was granted to Vaughan by her late neighbor, she began to aid students.
“After he passed away, he left me some money where I could do some wonderful things with it,” Vaughn said. “It was my choice to do the scholarships; he just gave me the money to do with it what I wanted to as far as making donations.”
Throughout the years, Vaughan has helped students in financial aid, and using the money has given out 10 full-ride scholarships and checks of $1,000 and $5,000. Students have applied for the fund in the past year, but due to COVID-19, she has not given out any full-ride scholarships to students.
“All walks of life have been able to apply for this scholarship who are in financial need,” Vaughan said. “It could be anyone across the board; it doesn’t have to be ‘A’ students. I’ve had kids apply in the past, but because of COVID-19 I haven’t really done that and we obviously haven’t been in school.”
Students apply for financial aid through scholarship notebooks that are given to the College and Career Center (CCC). Vaughan reads through these notebooks to determine which students she helps. According to Vaughan, she looks for someone who has tried really hard that is in need of financial aid.
“Especially for kids who don’t have the financial means, I thought it would be a nice leg-up so they don’t have to walk out of college in debt because college is so astronomically expensive,” Vaughan said. “I thought it would be a nice gesture to help them out.”
According to Vaughan, she chose to help students financially through college rather than donating to organizations because she is a teacher and loves her students. Levine and Vaughan work together to discuss which students are picked as potential candidates and which students they choose to give money too.
“It just depends on the candidates, and my discussion with David Levine who [is the] head of the estate,” Vaughan said.
According to Vaughan, she does not believe that this is something that other teachers should partake in as it was her decision to make.
“I usually do some sort of fun announcement where I make a big check and go to their classrooms and make a big deal out of it,” Vaughan said. “I always get the teacher’s permission to go in one day and announce like they just won the lottery.”
Vaughan also hosts luncheons for the teachers to put smiles on their faces when they are downtrodden, according to Vaughan. It’s nice to give the teachers a little pick-me-up with the money she was bestowed.
“I thought it would have been more fun if kids got it in their classroom with their peers,” Vaughan said.
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