Richard & Ina Balash Scholarship

Scholarship Sponsored by Kent Community Foundation

The Richard & Ina Balash (RIB) Scholarship was established in 2003 to recognize and support students who may not have the very highest GPAs but who have worked hard and shown promise—especially those who improved during their senior year.

As Richard Balash said, “We want to reward students who have mid-range GPAs as well as those who did well in their senior year even though their GPAs were low in previous years.” Ina Balash added, “Our goal is to make sure students in senior high school have the opportunity to develop a path to successful and rewarding careers.”

Background
- The Balashes created this scholarship because they noticed most awards go to either top-GPA students or those with significant financial need or special circumstances. They wanted a scholarship aimed at students in the middle GPA range who are motivated and improving.

Eligibility (summary)
- Graduating seniors who live in the attendance boundaries of, or attend, Kentwood or Kentlake High School (this includes students enrolled in private or home schools within those boundaries)
- Planning to pursue a career in Business or in a STEM field (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math)
- The chosen college or trade school must be located in Washington State

If you meet these criteria, consider applying—the Balashes wanted this award to help students build a clear, rewarding path after high school.