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CORVALLIS, Ore. - Two Oregon State transfer students have received scholarships from the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation providing them funding for up to three years that will allow them to transfer to four-year colleges and universities and complete their undergraduate degrees.

Ehren Bentz and Margaret "Peggy" Moran are the Oregon State recipients.  Bentz attended Feather River Community College in Quincy, Calif., and Moran attended College of DuPage in Glen Ellyn, Ill.

Since the foundation's program for transfer students was instituted in 2002, more than 365 students have benefited from scholarships from the foundation.

Moran, 50, was a high school dropout who never stopped wondering what she might be missing.

"I found both new answers and new aspects of myself as a non-traditional community college student," she said. "My surprising second growth is the result of digging in new roots; curiosity is my rich, fertile soil and my teachers are the elements, helping me reach up and branch out."

The Lemont, Ill., resident had a three-decade career as a dog trainer, and was a contributor to Dog World Magazine. She hopes to double major in natural resources and anthropology and eventually "inspire environmental responsibility and stewardship."

Bentz, 26, is a Marine Corps veteran who served two combat tours in Iraq. A native of Greenville, Calif., he has a passion for the outdoors and hopes to become a herpetologist. So it's no surprise that he cares for more than 100 reptiles, amphibians and fish in his home.

One of his defining moments was becoming a father.

"When I was 17 years old, my daughter was born," Ehren said. "Throughout my entire adult life I have been a father, and that has given me good reason to try to succeed in life. She is now nine years old, and I am very proud to have raised her to become a good person. She has been one of the most influential parts of my life. I believe one of the most important things a person can do is to raise children well, and I am very proud to have done that."

For more information on the Jack Kent Cooke Foundation, go to http://www.jkcf.org/