De Anza College is awarding a scholarship for students who are former smokers or are in the process of quitting smoking.

The De Anza – Wilma Wolgast Memorial scholarship requires applicants to be enrolled in at least 6 units in any major at De Anza. A copy of students’ unofficial transcript is required, along with a one page essay that explains previous or current efforts to overcome a smoking addiction

The application was opened on Oct. 2, 2018 and the deadline to turn in the application is Feb. 21, 2019.

Cindy Castillo, a retired De Anza financial aid director and her sister, Lynn Reese, created the scholarship to honor the memory of their mother, Wilma Wolgast. Wolgast worked at both De Anza and Foothill and retired in 1989. She enjoyed close interaction with students and worked diligently to help students succeed.

According to the American Lung Association, every year in the United States more than 480,000 people die from tobacco consumption and exposure to secondhand smoke, making it the leading cause of preventable death in this country. Castillo and Reese hope are to help students get rid of their smoking habit.

The funding for the $500 scholarship is provided by donations from Wilma’s close friends and family.