Galesburg Community Foundation will now be administering two scholarships for Galesburg High School seniors.
Galesburg District #205 had been overseeing the Dolores M. Ryner Business Scholarship and Verna May Sargent Scholarship for many years. “School districts don’t ordinarily run scholarship programs, but when these scholarships were established, there really wasn’t anywhere for these individuals to go but to the school district they knew and trusted,” says Joshua Gibb, President & CEO of Galesburg Community Foundation.
John Asplund, Galesburg CUSD #205 Superintendent, reached out to Gibb about transitioning the administration of the scholarships to the Community Foundation, which already oversees eight other scholarships throughout the region.
“As educators, our primary goal is to ensure every student has access to opportunities that empower them to succeed,” says Asplund. “By partnering with Galesburg Community Foundation, we can leverage their expertise and resources to maximize the impact of these scholarships while ensuring sustained, impartial management for the benefit of all deserving students.”
Galesburg Community Foundation has a simple application process, with one online application to apply for all 10 of the Community Foundation’s scholarships. The Community Foundation also has established processes and criteria for awarding scholarships, ensuring impartiality in the selection process for all scholarships.
“At Galesburg Community Foundation, we specialize in managing funds and administering grants and scholarships,” says Gibb. “We have the expertise and infrastructure to handle the logistics of scholarship programs efficiently.”
Learn more about the two scholarships for Galesburg High School seniors:
Dolores M. Ryner Business Scholarship
Dolores Ryner was a business teacher at Galesburg High School from 1953 to 1981. When she passed in 1996, she gifted farmland to the Galesburg School District. The annual income from the farm is used to fund a scholarship for a Galesburg High School student planning a career in business or business education. The student awarded the scholarship may renew it for up to four years.
Verna May Sargent Scholarship
When Earl Sargent passed in 2007, he endowed a memorial scholarship fund in the name of his wife, Verna May Sargent. Two scholarships are awarded annually to Galesburg High School seniors planning to major in music or a music-related field. Preference is given to students with an emphasis in voice.
Galesburg High School students interested in applying for the Dolores M. Ryner Business Scholarship or Verna May Sargent Scholarship can apply for the scholarships between February 1 and March 1.
