MASON CITY – The North Iowa Area Community College Foundation announced the establishment of five new scholarship funds. Contributions made by several individuals and families have created more opportunity for students to receive financial assistance as they pursue their educational goals.
“NIACC students will benefit from the generosity of all of these donors long into the future,” said Jamie T. Zanios, NIACC Foundation Director. “Each of these individuals may have a different reason for their contribution, however, the consistency of every one of these contributions is a commitment to education by providing scholarships. So many students are in need of financial help. Our goal is to assist as many students as possible and these contributions help us do just that.”
New scholarships include:
Tracy and Lynne Purchase of Forest City established the NIACC IT Scholarship. The Purchases created this scholarship to assist students who pursue a degree in one of the NIACC Information Technology programs. Tracy is a NIACC IT instructor and Lynne is a NIACC alumna. Both know how critical obtaining a higher education is to improving someone’s life.
Dan and Rosie Hussey of Clear Lake are passionate about helping fulltime NIACC students finance their agriculture related education through the Hussey & Company Scholarship. Their family business, Hussey & Company, LLC, is a fertilizer and chemical application equipment dealer. The Husseys have merged their life long passions of education, agriculture and the desire to help others into this scholarship.
The late Kathleen Watts of Clear Lake chose to honor her sister Annette Watts Burton when she established a NIACC nursing scholarship in her memory while doing her estate planning. Watts was very proud of the work her sister did as a nurse and placed a great deal of importance in assuring that her legacy lived on. The Annette Watts Burton Nursing Scholarship assists full-time students pursuing a degree in the nursing program.
The children of long-time Mason City resident Dorothy Gordon established the Dorothy Gordon Memorial Scholarship from memorials received for their mother. Gordon’s children were so thankful for the wonderful care their mother received at Heritage Care Center in Mason City, they established the scholarship to encourage and assist students pursuing studies in health related fields.
Mason City native, William “Bill” Georgou knew that education was the key to something more for his future. After graduating from Mason City High School, Georgou chose NIACC to continue his education. He received a NIACC scholarship and graduated in 1969. Georgou went on to be an educator and eventually became a certified internal auditor. Georgou created a living trust and named NIACC as beneficiary on two IRA accounts. Georgou passed away in January 2013, but his forward thinking will now fund an endowed scholarship in his memory. His legacy will continue by providing scholarships to students who plan to become teachers.
The NIACC Foundation is currently accepting scholarship applications for the academic year 2014-15. Students are encouraged to apply at www.niacc.edu/scholarships.
