Vicki Peterson SKC Memorial Scholarship
Vicki Peterson and Salish Kootenai College (SKC), where to begin. Many knew Vicki throughout the Northwest and even Nationally, due to her work since the mid-1990s. Vicki "tried" to keep a low profile at SKC, yet she went the extra mile in many ways. For instance, she always was thinking about SKC's Business Office crew. This crew had to move all department paperwork, amongst other things. So she took it on herself to make up some flavorful, tasty treats. Vicki had a knack for baking and she enjoyed making goodies for the Business Office crew!!! Don't get me wrong, she definitely shared these goods with her colleagues, for campus meetings, and even shared her secrets on how to make angel food cake, the right way, with a program intern.
Vicki started at SKC in 2004 for a grant within the Nursing Department called the Tribal BEAR Project providing clinical HIV trainings for tribal communities in Montana. When her granddaughter, Lucy was born Vicki moved to Denver to be closer to family and enjoyed working at the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC). Her work with NNAAPC took her across the United States to work with numerous tribal communities. However, Vicki’s deep connection to Montana brought her back in 2016 and into a position with the SKC Center for Prevention and Wellness. If anyone knew Vicki, they knew her care and commitment to Indian Country.
Vicki was a fantastic writer, both personally and professionally. She successfully wrote and secured multiple grants for SKC departments. She also was always on the lookout for funding that would benefit SKC and our students. Her grant writing expertise secured over 2 million dollars for SKC programming. Without Vicki's dedication and commitment to SKC and our students, the Center for Prevention & Wellness and Community Health & Development would not have been able to provide services the way they have.
Her close colleagues awarded Vicki with Millenial of the Year for her 70th birthday party! It was quite a celebration full of joy. In the last few years at SKC, Vicki connected with, shared life experiences, and mentored several SKC interns. She really leaned into getting to know interns that she worked with. These interns know who they are. She would take them under her wing and offer the shirt off her back if she could. Vicki herself realized later in life the importance of higher education. She received her Bachelor's degree, followed by two Master's degrees, and was in the process of her third in Creative Writing.
In honor of Vicki, her family and friends have set up the Vicki Peterson SKC Memorial Scholarship with a goal of raising $10,000 for an endowment. All donations will be awarded to SKC students through the SKC Foundation to further their educational paths.
Follow this link to view Vicki Peterson Obituary and Memorial Wall.
Vicki started at SKC in 2004 for a grant within the Nursing Department called the Tribal BEAR Project providing clinical HIV trainings for tribal communities in Montana. When her granddaughter, Lucy was born Vicki moved to Denver to be closer to family and enjoyed working at the National Native American AIDS Prevention Center (NNAAPC). Her work with NNAAPC took her across the United States to work with numerous tribal communities. However, Vicki’s deep connection to Montana brought her back in 2016 and into a position with the SKC Center for Prevention and Wellness. If anyone knew Vicki, they knew her care and commitment to Indian Country.
Vicki was a fantastic writer, both personally and professionally. She successfully wrote and secured multiple grants for SKC departments. She also was always on the lookout for funding that would benefit SKC and our students. Her grant writing expertise secured over 2 million dollars for SKC programming. Without Vicki's dedication and commitment to SKC and our students, the Center for Prevention & Wellness and Community Health & Development would not have been able to provide services the way they have.
Her close colleagues awarded Vicki with Millenial of the Year for her 70th birthday party! It was quite a celebration full of joy. In the last few years at SKC, Vicki connected with, shared life experiences, and mentored several SKC interns. She really leaned into getting to know interns that she worked with. These interns know who they are. She would take them under her wing and offer the shirt off her back if she could. Vicki herself realized later in life the importance of higher education. She received her Bachelor's degree, followed by two Master's degrees, and was in the process of her third in Creative Writing.
In honor of Vicki, her family and friends have set up the Vicki Peterson SKC Memorial Scholarship with a goal of raising $10,000 for an endowment. All donations will be awarded to SKC students through the SKC Foundation to further their educational paths.
Follow this link to view Vicki Peterson Obituary and Memorial Wall.
Organizer and beneficiary
Jennifer Sanderson
Organizer
Pablo, MT
Donna Mollica
Beneficiary
