Emporia’s ABWA chapter commits energy to scholarship fundraising
ESU Media Relations
Thursday, August 14, 2008
While its membership may have dwindled over the years, an Emporia civic organization is strong in its commitment to helping Emporia State University students meet their educational goals.
Members of the organization are establishing the Emporia Charter Chapter of the American Business Women’s Association (ABWA) Scholarship to support their belief in the importance of higher education and to provide an educational opportunity for students. The endowed fund at the Emporia State University Foundation will provide scholarships to full-time ESU students with a minimum 3.0 grade point average, and first preference will be given to students who are residents of Lyon, Chase, Greenwood, Osage, Morris or Coffey counties.
In the 30-year history of the Emporia chapter, ABWA members have provided over $50,000 in scholarships to area women. “We decided that because our groups’ numbers have declined over the years, we wanted to create a scholarship fund that would endure,” said Sandy Wickham, president of the Emporia ABWA chapter. The organization will continue its fundraising efforts to fully endow the scholarship over the next five years.
“This is the biggest project we’re working on over the next five years,” Wickham said of the ABWA’s efforts to fund the scholarship that bears its name. “We want to create an ongoing legacy to honor the work of our members. Some of them have been involved since the chapter was formed.”