Capital Area Technical College
Culinary Arts student receives Sterling Forbes Scholarship
On September 22, 2011, Amanda Haynes received $500 from the Sterling Forbes Memorial Scholarship. A scholarship fund dedicated in honor of former CATC Culinary Arts student, Sterling Forbes.
In order to be considered for the scholarship, students must have earned a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.75 and have earned at least 24 hours of credit in the Culinary Arts Program at the CATC Baton Rouge Campus. Additional requirements include attendance of at least 90% of class hours required, a current resume, employment history for last twelve months and a statement describing career goals and why you are a candidate for this scholarship. The recipient is to be someone, like Sterling, who was dedicated and worked hard in the program.
Sterling Forbes had been in his last semester in Culinary Arts department at Capital Area Technical College Baton Rouge Campus when a boating accident on False River suddenly took his life on May 16, 2009. He was just 22. In addition to the CATC café being named after Sterling, his mother Michele Forbes established an endowment scholarship in her son’s name – The Sterling Forbes Memorial Endowment.
“I wanted to do something in his memory and I wanted to do something that would benefit someone in a program that I think Sterling benefitted from...I want to help a deserving student.” Michele pledged to give a $500 scholarship every year to the program until the endowment was self-sustaining. The endowment fund goal in 2009 was $10,000 to be reached in a period of five years with the contributions of Michelle, her family, and friends.
Capital Area Technical College is proud to announce that this goal has been surpassed in less than one year. The current value of the Sterling Forbes Memorial Endowment fund is roughly $12,400.00. The college would like to make a special mention of Senator Yvonne Dorsey’s tireless fundraising efforts that resulted in contributions totaling $5975.00.
As for her advice to future scholarship recipients, Michele says:
“Remember you can accomplish whatever goal that you set for yourself. And don’t give up. Persevere in what you want to do in life. It’s difficult at times but work hard and be ethical in your workplace. Be mindful of the needs of others. And at the same time, enjoy what you do. You’ve got to enjoy what you do. Life is entirely too short. Just look at Sterling. He had so much ahead of him but his life was taken so quickly. So be mindful of that.”
