LAKEPORT, Calif. – One student of a Sutter Lakeside Hospital employee, who is pursing a college education, has been selected as scholarship recipient as part of the Van R. Johnson Sutter Scholars program.

Cylinda Neidenbach received a scholarship toward a two-year college.

Scholarship winners received awards ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. The funds may be applied to continuing education at either a community college or four-year university.

These scholarships are a portion of the 230 total awards given to students heading into their 2010-11 academic year.

All award recipients have parents or grandparents employed by Sutter Lakeside or Sutter Health.

“It is always exciting to see who receives the scholarships every year,” said Siri Nelson, chief administrative officer at Sutter Lakeside Hospital. “It is our pleasure to honor our local students for their hard work in pursuing higher education. We wish them all the best.”

A recent study conducted by Sallie Mae and Gallup found that families still value a college education but worry about how they’ll pay for it during the nation’s continued economic uncertainty.

“During tough economic times many families struggle to pay college bills. Sutter Health believes the rising cost of education should not be the barrier that keeps outstanding students from having the opportunity to reach their fullest potential,” said Charlie Wait, vice president of Fund Development for Sutter Health.

Since its inception, the Van R. Johnson Sutter Scholars program has awarded approximately 3,500 scholarships totaling more than $5 million to Northern California students.

Sutter Health named the program in honor of former longtime Sutter Health CEO Van R. Johnson. The Sacramento Region Community Foundation administers the program. Sutter awards scholarships annually. Amounts vary based on need and competitive review.

For more information about the not-for-profit Sutter Health network, please visit www.SutterHealth.org, www.Facebook.com/SutterHealth or www.YouTube.com/SutterHealth.