Meet Desiree, one of our scholarship recipients!

“My mom was a teacher, so I grew up understanding how important education is not just for the individual but for the community.”

What a beautiful idea, and one that brought Desiree Gibbons back to her educational dreams at Community Colleges of Spokane.

When Desiree was a child, she was unable to finish high school due to illness and her family needing financial support. 

“I spent most of my life working to help support us. After my mom passed away in 2019, I felt the struggle to stay financially afloat working in customer service was going to be my life.”

Then, during the pandemic, Desiree lost her job. An employee at the unemployment office told Desiree about Spokane Community College and its program for students wanting to earn their high school diploma. Desiree earned her diploma and then continued on to Spokane Falls Community College to work on her associate in applied science in digital filmmaking. She’s about to finish her second year. 

“I’ve always had a wild love for film, ever since I was a little girl. Reading the summary of the degree path online, discovering the potential to learn the art form, was all it took for me,” Desiree said. “I couldn’t imagine any other program to dedicate myself to.”

It can be hard, balancing all of her responsibilities. But Desiree thinks of her mom to stay motivated. “I think she would be really proud of me. Sometimes I forget how far I’ve come.”

Her entire supportive community will also be proud of her. Desiree thanked them all: her family, friends, teachers, the Foundation, and the local Lion’s Club. “When I start to feel doubt or fear, I try to remember why I’m doing this and all the people who have believed in this far.” 

As she put it, a scholarship is a community giving you their faith in you. “It’s trust.”

After SFCC, Desiree hopes to go on to earn her BA in filmmaking. She’s nervous, but excited for what the future holds and know that education is her best chance and building a bright future.

“I know education will help me create a better life for myself. Working towards a career path rather than living from paycheck to paycheck. It’s hard to put into words. Beyond that I hope it will someday enable me to give back to the community that granted me this opportunity in the first place. Paying it forward has always been my goal.” 

Desiree calls herself a dreamer, but we know she’ll achieve them all, just as she has so far at SCC and SFCC.