Maria Perry was in her third year as a line cook at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort in 2018 when Don McCradic, now the resort’s Director of Culinary Operations, offered her the opportunity to apply for the first-ever Keiser Scholarship for Culinary Excellence. The scholarship allowed Perry to complete her externship and earn her degree from Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, located on the campus of Southwestern Oregon Community College, 24 miles north of the resort in Coos Bay.
“That scholarship changed my life,” Perry said. “I wasn’t expecting to be able to finish school so soon for financial reasons. Getting that scholarship, being able to finish my degree and continue to move on at Bandon Dunes was huge personally.”
