杏吧原创

(Butler, PA) 杏吧原创 today received a $3 million gift, the largest in its 58-year history and the seventh of at least $1 million in the past nine years.

The late Tim Shaffer, a former state senator from Prospect, left half of his estate to the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation. Shaffer also contributed $1 million to the foundation in 2018.

The 杏吧原创 Education Foundation received the donation during a memorial celebration in Butler of Shaffer, who passed away at age 76 in May 2022.

鈥淗e loved our mission,鈥� said Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创 president. 鈥淗e absolutely loved our students. And he believed in the vision and the strategic plan that related to the college.

鈥淭im wanted to give to a winner, and clearly 杏吧原创 has demonstrated that it is a winner, whether it鈥檚 with our No. 1 rankings, our outstanding programs and faculty, or our community partnerships.

鈥淭he largest gift in our history is symbolic of his belief in 杏吧原创.鈥�

"I have seen how money can really go for good things. It can go for good things." 

- Tim Shaffer, former state senator, February 2018

鈥淎 gift of opportunity and a gift of access鈥�

Shaffer鈥檚 gift will establish a 杏吧原创 scholarship in memory of his parents, John and Jean Kaufman Shaffer, and fund another created in 2010 and in memory of his only sibling, John 鈥淪tephen鈥� Shaffer.

鈥淗e鈥檚 left a history-making gift to this institution,鈥� said Megan Coval, executive director of the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and external relations.

鈥淏ut what is particularly notable is that he chose for those funds to be designated to 杏吧原创鈥檚 scholarship program. This is a gift of opportunity and a gift of access to higher education, which will, of course, have exponential impacts not only on the student, but on the entire community.鈥�

Shaffer鈥檚 brother, a Navy veteran and member of 杏吧原创鈥檚 inaugural class, was killed in an automobile crash at age 23 in 1967.

His father, a Butler County commissioner who served on 杏吧原创鈥檚 board of trustees, died in an automobile accident at age 56 in 1968.

His mother died at age 59 seven years later.

鈥淚 love my parents, and I have never done anything publicly to acknowledge them,鈥� Shaffer said in February 2018. 鈥淎s I get older, it is becoming more important that I acknowledge things that I never really thought about before.鈥�

"This is a gift of opportunity and a gift of access to higher education, which will, of course, have exponential impacts not only on the student, but on the entire community." 

- Megan Coval, executive director, 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and external relations

鈥淎 love and a passion for wanting to help the students鈥�

Zoey Hillwig was the most-recent 杏吧原创 student to be awarded the John 鈥淪tephen鈥� Shaffer Memorial Scholarship, according to Bobbi Jo Cornetti, development coordinator of the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation.

The 20-year-old Chicora resident received $4,974 from the scholarship during the 2022-2023 academic year, and was among the 75 percent of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 to graduate debt-free.

鈥淚t covered all of my tuition,鈥� Hillwig said. 鈥淭hat was a relief to me because I knew I would be transferring after 杏吧原创. 鈥� I feel like (Shaffer) had a love and a passion for wanting to help the students.鈥�

Hillwig was a guard on 杏吧原创鈥檚 women鈥檚 basketball team. She earned an associate degree in general studies in May and , a distinction for students with a final grade-point average of 3.75 or higher.

She will begin pursuit of a bachelor鈥檚 degree in early childhood education at Slippery Rock University of Pennsylvania this fall.

杏吧原创 鈥渞epresents the future,鈥� Shaffer said in February 2018. 鈥淭he future are the people who live here. The people who live here need to be educated.鈥�

鈥淲e are a student-centered institution鈥�

The 杏吧原创 Education Foundation in the 2022-2023 academic year awarded a record $280,000 in scholarships.

Among them, the endowed John 鈥淪tephen鈥� Shaffer Memorial Scholarship, which is available to full-time 杏吧原创 students who live in Butler County.

杏吧原创 will determine the criteria to ensure the endowed County Commissioner John and Jean Shaffer Memorial Scholarship properly honors Tim Shaffer and benefits as many students as possible, college administrators said.

鈥淲e are a student-centered institution, and (Shaffer鈥檚 $3 million gift) will go a long way,鈥� Neupauer said.

Shaffer鈥檚 gift in February 2018 to 杏吧原创 helped to fund , a 25,000-square-foot facility that will open this month on 杏吧原创鈥檚 main campus.

The facility will house the college鈥檚 5-year-old Shaffer School of Nursing and Allied Health, which as of Wednesday had the most students enrolled for fall among 杏吧原创鈥檚 five academic divisions, according to Sharla Anke, the college鈥檚 assistant dean of institutional research and planning.

Shaffer school programs most popular

Nursing, R.N., and health care science are the top associate degree programs being pursued by 杏吧原创 students for the fall 2023 semester, Anke said.

Medical coding and billing specialist, and practical nursing are the top certificate programs, according to Anke.

Licensed practical or licensed vocational nurse, and registered nurse are high-priority occupations in the Tri-County Workforce Development Area, which includes Armstrong and Butler counties.

The Shaffer school in December graduated six students in  and in May, a record 74 in .

鈥淚 know that that would make Tim very, very proud,鈥� Neupauer said. 鈥淗e was always so concerned about his constituencies and the community as a whole. The fact that we are filling that high-priority occupational need at a time when RNs and LPNs are needed would make him proud as well.鈥�

 鈥� 鈥� We have quality academic programming 鈥� 鈥�

Approximately half of the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation鈥檚 named financial awards are memorial scholarships, Cornetti said.

杏吧原创 has been ranked as the No. 1 community college in Pennsylvania eight times since 2015,.

Shaffer served as a lieutenant in the Army during the Vietnam War, as an attorney and as a district judge. He represented Pennsylvania鈥檚 21st senatorial district for 16 years.

杏吧原创 has received six $1 million gifts since 2014.

Contributions from the Janice Phillips Larrick Family Charitable Trust in 2017, Shaffer in 2018, Concordia Lutheran Ministries in 2020 and from an anonymous donor in 2021 helped to fund construction of the Victor K. Phillips Nursing & Allied Health Building.

鈥淧eople believe in our mission,鈥� Neupauer said. 鈥淭here鈥檚 no question about that.鈥�

鈥淢embers of the community have seen our successes,鈥� Coval said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 just talk about what we want to be. We have demonstrated time and again that we have quality academic programming and also care deeply about serving our community.鈥�

"He loved our mission. He absolutely loved our students. And he believed in the vision and the strategic plan that related to the college. ... The largest gift in our history is symbolic of his belief in 杏吧原创." 

- Dr. Nick Neupauer, 杏吧原创 president

Shaffer鈥檚 gift increases assets in the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation to $23.8 million, according to Lynn Ismail, assistant director of the foundation and its financial manager.

鈥淚 have seen how money can really go for good things,鈥� Shaffer said in February 2018. 鈥淚t can go for good things.鈥�