UKIAH, Calif. – The Mendocino College Foundation is celebrating scholarship winner Hailey Choate for her academic excellence and contributions to student life at the college.

“Hailey Choate is a remarkable woman,” said her professor, Helen Falandes.

Choate has received multiple scholarships through the Mendocino College Foundation because she is simply an outstanding student.

She maintains a 4.0 grade point average at Mendocino College and is looking forward to the next chapter of her educational career.

Choate will be one of the first to start the college’s new Physical Therapy Assistant Program this fall.

She and fellow student Jennifer Nauert founded the Students for Recovery program at Mendocino College. They provide a weekly group for students in recovery and are a strong support for recovering addicts.

According to professor Christine Price, “Hailey is extremely dedicated and hard working. This is a student who attended every class, came prepared and engaged in all the activities offered. She shared lecture notes and helped form study groups to help herself and her peers. She also brings an enthusiasm which is infectious, sharing her positivity with those around her.”

“I have a strong belief that service work is the key to my life having meaning, fulfillment, connection, balance, health and wellness,” said Choate. “By helping others, I help myself to heal; to grow; to be successful. I appreciate the help that I have received at Mendocino College and the scholarships have helped me reach my goals. I have used the funding to buy and maintain a car for traveling from Willits to Ukiah for most of my classes.”

In addition to her studies, she is a dedicated volunteer, and an accomplished instructor/coach for a local nonprofit Circus Mecca which is a circus school.

She volunteers at the Inland Mendocino County Humane Society and Mendocino Shelter Pets.

For more information about the Mendocino College Foundation or to donate to any of their programs, call them at 707-467-1018 or visit http://foundation.mendocino.edu .