Mattress Lot Makes Colleges Dreams a Reality for 2017 Graduates

Mattress Lot has awarded it’s 2017 “Dream Big” college scholarships to seven East-Side Portland graduating seniors. This year Mattress Lot upped its annual contribution to $5500. Four students earned $1000 and 3 students earned $500 each toward their college education. Mattress Lot offered scholarships at Grant, Madison, Franklin and Cleveland High Schools. These schools are right in the heart of Mattress Lot’s service area.

Mattress Lot owners Michael and Mary Ruth Hanna started their scholarship program in 2014 as a way to give back to the community which has supported their small business for many years. The Hanna’s say “We have two children who graduated from Grant High School. We know first-hand how tough it is to afford a college education. This is a small way to help deserving students and their families who live in our neighborhood”. Mary Ruth Hanna is a financial aid/scholarship mentor to college bound high school students at Benson High. Mary Ruth says scholarships are a terrific way for local businesses to help build community through education. She adds, “every economic study shows that people who earn a college degree go onto have higher earning power and career success”.

The scholars are chosen by a committee of teachers, business & community leaders and Mattress Lot employees. Their decision is based on the students academic success and rigor, their community leadership and their creativity through a writing sample. Since 2014, Mattress Lot has awarded $20,000 in scholarships to East-Side high school graduates.