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About Our Founder
ACHS Founding President Dorene Petersen founded the College in 1978 to make wellness education accessible to a global community. During her early career, Dorene was a single mum of two young children and worked as a medical social worker focusing on the elderly. In this work, she was exposed to the harsh reality of disadvantaged elders who suffered many chronic illnesses due to living a hard life with few resources for nourishing foods and other wellness tools. Inspired to make a difference in this area, Dorene went on to earn a New Zealand ND credential and started a clinic where she saw patients for 15 years.
While in ND school, Dorene had been invited to lecture on wellness topics and later to set up a correspondence course. From this experience, ACHS was born. Since 1978, Dorene has been an educator, advocate, innovator, and entrepreneur and has positively impacted thousands of students worldwide. This scholarship honors Dorene’s legacy and recognizes a candidate who possesses the grit, determination, and passion to make a positive impact using integrative health and wellness.
About the Scholarship
The ACHS Founder’s Scholarship is a competitive scholarship and awarded each year to a candidate who embodies the legacy of our Founder.
One Founder’s Scholarship is awarded each year based on the following criteria:
The application deadline for this scholarship is July 15 each year, and the scholarship is awarded for the student to begin studies in the Fall semester. If awarded, the scholarship covers the full tuition, materials, and mandatory fees for the program.
How to Apply
To apply for the Founder’s Scholarship, submit the following by July 15:
Restrictions
This scholarship cannot be combined with any other ACHS scholarships and is only available to new students earning their certificate or degree at ACHS. Students must maintain satisfactory academic progress to remain eligible for the scholarship.