This week we got letters from two of the recipients of our scholarships. We have 3 scholarships at Northern Illinois University (Markos' alma mater), one each in biology, chemistry and physics. The total isn't much, but it helps. Please follow below the fold for a discussion of scholarships and why we feel they are important.
NormAl and I aren't rich, or even close. We have a nine year old Prius and a two year old van we got used. However we both feel strongly about the value of education. The strongest predictor for upward mobility / success is higher education. This is not an absolute; people succeed all the time without college, and college educated people are not always successful. And, of course, there is the difficult to define concept of success. It does not necessarily mean money. One of my college friends got a degree to work with severely handicapped children. She does not make a lot of money, but she feels she is very successful because her job is very fulfilling. Even if she would have made more money being, say, an accountant, she would not have considered herself successful.
When I was in college, over 40 years ago, it was still possible to work your way through college. I sort of did. I had a state scholarship to cover tuition and earned what I needed for everything else. Even at a state school these days, it is realistically impossible to work your way through college. NormAl and I agreed some years ago that we would would fund a small scholarship at NIU. The larger part of the money goes to someone earning a degree in Biology (my major) with lesser amounts for scholarships in Chemistry (my minor) and Physics. A slight preference is given for women.
I have to say, I cried reading the thank you letters from the first two women to receive the Winifred Halsey Scholarships. For Physics, the woman is in her last year at NIU and will work this summer as an intern at Caltech in high energy physics. She currently works 30 hours a week to help put herself through school. The woman who received the award in Chemistry is an incoming Latino freshman. The scholarship will help her begin her college journey.
Both letters commented on how special it was that a woman scientist has set up this scholarship.
I'm writing this diary in the hope that there are others out there that will think about setting up a scholarship. In our case it was quite painless as it is funded from one of my IRAs. While I am living I withdraw the amount of the sholarships each year; when I am now longer alive, the IRA is inherited by NIU. I am very pleased we are able to do this. I hope that others will consider whether this might be an option for them to help others achieve whatever it is that they call success!