The Oakdale Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that we awarded 6 Educational Scholarships to local high school and Jr College students! Read below to find out more about each of our amazing winners and their goals for the future. Congratulations and good luck!

After graduating high school, I plan to attend Modesto Junior College as a full-time student while continuing to work part-time. While at MJC I will be working towards double majoring in both Ag Business and Political Science. Growing up in Oakdale has paved the way for me to show my roots, graduate, and thrive as a business owner in the ag community. Along with business, I will also work towards changing how politics are run from their empty promises to their backstabbing exposes. I hope to have a positive impact and make a change in my community, State, and Country as a whole. Though my dreams aren’t small and accomplishing them won’t be easy, I am not afraid of hard work. I plan to continue to work and fight to accomplish my goals. I am humbled to be chosen as a recipient of the 2023 Oakdale Chamber of Commerce Scholarship award as it will help me continue to pursue my educational goals.

Laural has been a proud resident of the City of Oakdale ever since she was 10 months old. She is graduating from Oakdale Christian Academy this year and will be starting her college career at Chico State University Fall of 2023. She will be pursuing her Business Management Degree with a focus in Business Entrepreneurship. Other than school, Laural’s focus has been on raising and training horses. Upon graduating from college, Laural goal is to start her own Equestrian Training program/business. It has also been a dream for her to start her own animal rescue. Laural wants to care and give back to the animals that have always been there for her.

I have committed to Sonoma State University and plan on majoring in music. My goal is to become a music teacher or professional musician. I am excited to attend college and hopefully make a career out of my passion for music. I'm so grateful for the community in supporting our high school, and I wouldn't have gotten this far without my wonderful teachers!

I am a sixth generation Oakdalean through my grandmother’s side of the family, who arrived in Oakdale at the turn of the century as land prospectors from Nebraska. Our family has always been involved in agriculture, and in that same spirit, I plan to do the same. I will attend Modesto Junior College in the Fall as an Agriculture Business major, then I will transfer to Purdue University and finish a Bachelor’s degree in Ag Business, with an emphasis in International Trade. I would like to be an agriculture commodities broker. Although I know I’ll likely start in grains, I would love to eventually work on the beef cattle side and sell beef genetics. This past year, I have had an amazing internship at JLG Enterprises in Oakdale, and that has really inspired me and given me direction in this major. I would like to finish a Master’s and Doctorate degree at Cornell University to increase my marketability and flexibility with international firms.

My name is Maddie Jones. I am so grateful to be awarded this scholarship. I am currently enrolled in Columbia College and Modesto Junior College online. I am trying to get my Associate Degree right now to be able to become a teacher. I am so excited to one day to be able to teach some wonderful students. This scholarship will help me so much with future college courses. Thank you so much for this amazing opportunity to help me in the future.

Hi my name is Claire Van Laar and I will be graduating from Oakdale High School. Throughout high school I have been an active member of the Oakdale FFA and both the water polo and swim teams. I have also shown goats competitively for six years at various jackpot shows in California. After graduation, I will be attending Oklahoma State University in Stillwater Oklahoma. I am majoring in Agricultural Economics with a minor in Real Estate Appraisal, with a goal of working as an Ag Real Estate Appraiser or in Ag lending and finance.

Please email membership@oakdalechamber.com for more details.