Soroptimist club awards scholarships to three Newberg High grads
Published 11:07 am Thursday, July 3, 2025



Riley Coats Ogrenics, Katie Wharff and Katelyn Nummelin earn $1,500 in pursuit of higher education
Thanks to a popular fundraising event, three young women will have an opportunity to attend college and pursue a higher education.
The Chehalem Valley Soroptimist service club announced July 1 that recent Newberg High School graduates Riley Coats Ogrenics, Katelyn Nummelin and Katie Wharff will receive $1,500 scholarships for the upcoming school year.
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Coats Ogrenics and Wharff received Soroptimists’ “Life Chances” scholarships, while Nummelin is the recipient of the Martin Bleck Memorial Scholarship, designated for a student aspiring to a career in the viticulture, enology, culinary or hospitality industries.
Coats Ogrenics intends to apply her scholarship at CLI Conservatory in Southampton, Massachusetts, where she will study dance.
Wharff is staying local and will attend Oregon State University in
Corvallis, where she plans to major in education with the eventual goal of teaching history.
Nummelin will attend the University of Idaho in Moscow, Idaho, and major in applied agriculture with an emphasis on viticulture.
“All these young women exhibited participation in community activities, school activities and leadership,” a release said. “Their academics and personal traits are outstanding as referenced by letters of recommendation.”
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The scholarships are funded by the Soroptimist fundraiser, Soup’s On, an annual dinner of bread and soup served in a handcrafted bowl prepared by local chefs. The service organization raised $16,000 from the event in 2024.
For more information on the scholarships, club memberships or Soups On, visit www.sicv.org.