Continued Support from Scottish Rite of Idaho Foundation Funds Scholarships for Speech Language Pathology Students

Over the past five years, the Scottish Rite have contributed over $130,000 to these scholarships and clinic services benefitting Idaho State University and community members. These funds provide patient support for thousands of patient visits, specialized equipment for pediatric patient services, and student scholarships. Each year three Speech and Language Pathology students benefit from these contributions. 

The Scottish Rite of Idaho is a service organization that is part of the Freemasons, with approximately 950 members across Idaho. They have been in Idaho for over 100 years, with their first valley starting in Boise in 1907. Their philanthropic mission is to support youth and literacy programs, which includes Speech Pathology.

The Idaho State Speech and Language Clinics are known as RiteCare Clinics because they provide free or heavily discounted services to pediatric patients who qualify.  

“For us, we love to support these programs because they help children and that feeling we get when seeing a young child with a big smile because they just said a word they’ve never seen before,” said Joe Alexander, Sovereign Grand Inspector General of the Scottish Rite in Idaho. “We were excited to support Idaho State due to their well-known reputation in Speech Language Pathology and ability to assist in our goal of meeting youth literacy challenges.” 

“We are so fortunate, as are the families we work with, to have these funds. Professor Mary Van Donsel and I have seen countless families and students blessed by the support they have given, they have impacted so many,” said clinical professor Amy Hardy. 

Through the Idaho State University Speech and Language Clinics, faculty and students provide support for over 2,100 patient visits between the Pocatello and Meridian clinics. If you would like to learn more about the services offered at these or other clinics, please visit isu.edu/clinics.