September 18, 2008
Ivy Tech Community College News Release
KOKOMO, Ind. -- The Ivy Tech Foundation recently received a pledge for a $1.5 million bequest that will fund scholarships for Ivy Tech Kokomo students for years to come. The donors, a husband and wife who asked to remain anonymous, simply said the gift is the result of their deeply held devotion to education.
“Education is my passion,” said one donor. “If I can just make it easier for one student … that would be worth everything in the world to me.”
Not only will their gift make it easier for one student, it will benefit countless students in the years to come, says Ivy Tech Community College President Thomas J. Snyder. "We are grateful for the investment that this couple has made in Ivy Tech Community College,” says Snyder. “Students for a long time to come will have their lives changed through scholarships that this gift will support.”
Ivy Tech Kokomo Region Chancellor Steve Daily said he is grateful that others are seeing the important role Ivy Tech plays in the lives of local residents. “We are extremely grateful for this generous donation,” said Daily. “Ivy Tech would not be able to provide the quality education it does without support from the community. This pledge comes at a time when the college is experiencing phenomenal growth. As we continue to grow, support like this will be increasingly important. We cannot thank these donors enough.”
Kokomo attorney and former Ivy Tech state trustee, Tom Trauring, said the two came to him looking to increase the opportunities for those interested in bettering themselves. “After touring Ivy Tech, they were impressed with the quality of education and training the college offers to local residents. When they heard about the need for student scholarships, they made the decision to donate much of their estate to the Ivy Tech Foundation.”
Trauring said that making a will is important because it is the only way a person can direct his or her assets after death. The first step is to speak with an estate planner.
For more information about funding student scholarships or planning Ivy Tech into your will, please contact Greg Aaron, executive director of Resource Development, at (800) 459-0561, ext. 450.
Ivy Tech Community College is one of the nation’s largest singly-accredited statewide community college systems and the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution with nearly 120,000 students enrolled annually. Ivy Tech has 23 campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Ivy Tech Community College Kokomo Region serves Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Tipton and Wabash counties and includes campuses in the communities of Kokomo, Logansport, Peru and Wabash. To learn more about Ivy Tech, visit www.ivytech.edu.