From left: Zonta President Dr. Kyle Patterson, Arien Bissell holding the award certificate, Bonnie Weidert and Linda Salvatore from the educational awards committee.
Tue, Oct 24th 2017 03:55 pm
Arien Bissell of Lewiston was named the recipient of the 2017 Zonta Club of Niagara Falls NY, Non-Traditional Student Award. She recently received her award certificate at the Zonta Club's annual educational awards dinner at the Sheraton at the Falls in Niagara Falls.
This award is open to women of any age, enrolled in any level of post-secondary education, who had her college study or desire to attend college interrupted or postponed by family, illness or job, and who has decided to return to college to pursue her degree.
The club award is $500.
The Non-Traditional Student Award was created by the Zonta Club of Niagara Falls, NY, for the mothers and wives in this community who did not have access to the many scholarships designed for graduating high school students.
Bissell has five young children and waited until her husband had finished his college degree before going to college herself. She maintained an outstanding academic grade-point average that put her on the dean's list at Niagara University during the course of her studies. While attending NU and working toward a business degree, she remained active in her children's sports, music and educational endeavors, and in her community and church volunteer efforts on the Tuscarora Nation.