SWE Endowed Scholarship – Legacy Region Scholarships
SWE endowed scholarship have been established by leaders in several former SWE Regions. SWE Regions were formed in the 1980s and were organized by the Society into the following ten geographical zones in addition to Members at Large (MALs) and International members.
- Golden West, Region A: northern California, northern Nevada, Hawaii.
- Sonora, Region B: New Mexico, Arizona, Utah, southern Nevada, southern California.
- Gulf Coast, Region C: Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi.
- Southeast, Region D: Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina.
- Mid-Atlantic, Region E: eastern New York, New Jersey, eastern Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia.
- New England, Region F: Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Rhode Island, Maine, western New York
- Ohio Valley, Region G: Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania.
- Heartland Region (Region H): Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin.
- Square Root -1, Region I: Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Nebraska, Colorado, Wyoming.
- Northwest Star, Region J: Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Montana.
These SWE Regions were developed to improve communication and increase member engagement in a non-digital environment. SWE members were able to participate in leadership roles, host conferences, and apply for awards through their Region.
Over the years, SWE has experienced a tremendous growth in membership not only in the United States but across the global! To support that membership growth and develop SWE leaders globally, the Society began exploring options for restructuring its governance in FY15. In FY17, the SWE Governance Task Force was formed to finalize and communicate detailed plans for implementing governance update recommendations, which included dissolving Regions, refocusing the Senate as SWE’s strategic body, and improving Society committee volunteer experiences. In FY18, SWE Bylaws revisions required for the governance update were approved by the Senate during their Annual Meeting at WE17 in Austin, TX.
The following SWE endowed scholarship were established by Regions throughout their existence to support members in their area of the country. Other scholarships were established during the Region dissolution process as a way to re-approriate funds and remember the remarkable work of a specific SWE Region.
Region A: Golden West Region Legacy Scholarship – Established in FY18 utilizing remaining Region funds.
Region B: Sonora Region B Scholarship – Established in FY16. Remaining Region funds were added to the endowment upon the dissolution of Regions.
Region D: Southeast Diamond Scholarship – Established in FY18 utilizing remaining Region funds.
Region H: Heartland Scholarships 1 & 2 – Originally established as Region H scholarships in FY07 and FY09. Remaining Region funds were added to the endowment upon the dissolution of Regions, and the scholarship was renamed.
Region J: Northwest Star Legacy Scholarship – Originally established as the SWE Region J scholarship in FY14. Remaining Region funds were added to the endowment upon the dissolution of Regions, and the scholarship was renamed.
