“I know exactly where I want to go!” declares Krista Stromme, a psychology major completing her first year at Rogue Community College with a 4.0 GPA.
Stromme will transfer to Southern Oregon University after graduating from RCC.
Her goal: earn a master’s degree and serve as a special education teacher and advocate for families with disabled children. Her inspiration: having two sons with autism and overcoming huge obstacles.

Helping her reach these objectives are three RCC Foundation scholarships: the Ann and Wirt Cogswell scholarship, the Linda Loper Memorial, and the Grants Pass University Women’s Charitable Fund. Stromme and her brother, Jesse Gibson, are the first generation in their family to attend college. Stromme, who graduated in 1990 from North Valley High School, has three sons. The two older boys, now 12 and 14, were diagnosed with autism. “It’s hard to socialize normally and go to movies and restaurants, or find babysitters, because of the behavior,” she explained. “Having disabled kids gives you a sense of purpose real quickly.” It also generated an atmosphere of isolation. Pressures built up, followed by domestic violence, divorce, and hard times. Stromme’s home was foreclosed on, her car repossessed. 

Her self-confidence at rock bottom, Stromme felt unqualified to work. She enrolled at RCC, where turning points came in Chip Phillips’ composition class and from Writing Center staff. “They told me I’m a good writer,” Stromme said. “I’d never heard that before. And they encouraged me to apply for scholarships. Now I feel able and confident to write thank you letters to the scholarship donors.” I have the experience, now I’m getting the knowledge to back it up. There’s something about autistic kids I love,” she continued. “We all should have the right to reach our full potential, and sometimes disabled people need a little help getting there.” Stromme also wants to help create opportunities and events that are a “release from isolation for families with disabled kids, so they don’t feel segregated.” She says she’s creating a “moral compass” for her sons. “We had nothing. We were eating out of food banks. Now they are seeing me succeed and they are going to think, ‘If she can do it, I can too." “The lesson is if you keep trying, you can be happy,” she added. “I feel confident, and life is better now than it’s ever been.”