Scholarships and Awards

2007 Ambrose R. Nichols Jr. Scholarship Recipient

Brittany Anne Swars

Brittany Anne Swars
Political Science Major
School of Social Sciences

Economics Minor
School of Business and Economics

This fall, Ms. Swars will join a select number of students from the 23 CSU campuses and Santa Clara University as a congressional intern in Washington D.C. The Panetta Institute for Public Policy offers a prestigious and golden opportunity for elite university students to get an inside look at the workings of the U.S. Congress and Washington politics. Appointed by President Armiñana, Ms. Swars will participate in an intensive two-week course on a CSU campus with former Congressman Leon Panetta, the be assigned to a Capitol Hill office of a member of the California congressional delegation to work for two and half months. In spite of challenges in her personal life, Ms. Swars maintains a 4.00 GPA and has been recognized on the Dean's Honor List three times. Her career goal is to become a high school teacher, and through her volunteer work as a big sister-little sister mentor, she has developed a passion for teaching.

Established in 1976, this scholarship is named for Ambrose R. Nichols, Jr., the founding president of Sonoma State University. The Nichols scholarship is awarded annually by the Alumni Association for outstanding contributions to the campus community. It is intended to encourage the recipient's continuing intellectual development and advanced academic instruction. The Nichols Scholarship is provided through funds generated by our Life Members.

All Life Membership dues are placed in a permanently endowed fund from which the interest, not the principal, is used to provide this annual scholarship of $2500. Past recipients of the Nichols Scholarship include: Noam Lemish, Amy Pitchforth, Jamie McCleary, Brooke Dummit, Stacey Nugent, Christina Yebra, Jennifer Hazzard, Joe Latulippe, Carl Oblad, Pamela Rasada, Jane Beal, Michelle Allendorf, Shaun Skolaski, Benet Johnson, Dylan Bennett, William Baker, Steven Stratford, Lisa McShane, Myrna Goodman, Penny Caudle, Kory White, Judith Eisen, Daniel Bronfman, Gary Sandy, Nancy Shour, Mary Silber, Mary Catherine Ferguson and Norman Cordon.

The Ronald O. Logsdon III
Alumni Freshman Scholarship

Ron Logsdon was a truly unique and giving individual who gave much of his life to Sonoma State University. He received a B.A. in History in 1968, and after teaching Social Studies in Santa Rosa, worked as an aide to Barry Keene, Majority Leader of the California State Senate. In 1971, Ron enlisted and served in the Army and received the Bronze Star and the Vietnam Service Medal for his bravery in Vietnam.

Ron returned to Sonoma County in 1973 to pursue an M.A. in Counseling at SSU. He was hired as the Executive Director of the SSU Student Union, and served in that capacity for one year. He was then hired as a program developer in the Career Center, and spent the next 18 years in that position.

He was instrumental in developing programs in career planning, student employment, and internships. He also helped create the Job Location and Development Program and was a mentor to the numerous students who worked in the Center.

Ron was elected to the Alumni Association Board of Directors in 1973 and gave an enormous amount of time and energy to assist with the Association's operations. He became the Board president in 1998 and helped strengthen the connection between the Association and the University. Ron passed away in December 1999 after a four-year battle with HIV AIDS. His humor, spirit and enthusiasm for life will always be remembered.