(Butler, PA) Six scholarships administered by the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation will debut in the 2023-2024 academic year and increase to 155 the record number of named financial awards available to 杏吧原创 students, a college administrator said.
Students registered in fall 2023 credit programs can apply for a scholarship until July 1, said Bobbi Jo Cornetti, development coordinator of the foundation that in the 2022-2023 academic year distributed 148 named financial awards and a record $292,123 to 杏吧原创 students .
Registered students can complete one application at bc3.edu/scholarships, added Megan Coval, executive director of the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation and external relations.
Students enrolled in a 杏吧原创 associate degree, certificate or workplace certificate program and who meet scholarship criteria are eligible to receive a financial award, Cornetti said. Students attending any of the college鈥檚 six locations, enrolled in online courses or in 杏吧原创鈥檚 new virtual programs can apply for a financial award, Cornetti said.
Scholarships, 杏吧原创鈥檚 affordability and financial aid allowed 75 percent of 杏吧原创鈥檚 Class of 2023 to graduate debt-free.
Financial awards in 2023-2024 range from $300 to $5,000, Cornetti said, and average $500.
鈥淗e was the standard-bearer鈥�
John Bacon was the son of an Indiana County coal miner who received a scholarship from the National Science Foundation, earned a master鈥檚 degree at the Pennsylvania State University and was the first faculty member hired at 杏吧原创.
His four children have established a memorial scholarship in their father鈥檚 name that is among the six new financial awards available to 杏吧原创 students this fall.
Bacon was hired as an associate professor and leader of the science department at 杏吧原创 two months before the college opened in September 1966. Over the next two decades he helped the college to establish, among other programs, those in nursing, metrology, electronic technology and computer data processing.
Bacon 鈥渨as responsible for all of the applied science programming,鈥� Dr. Thomas TenHoeve said of 杏吧原创鈥檚 associate degree career programs, which numbered 17 by the time Bacon retired in 1985 as assistant to the president and chair of 杏吧原创鈥檚 technical department.
TenHoeve served from 1970 to 1984 as 杏吧原创鈥檚 second president.
Bacon 鈥渨as absolutely essential,鈥� TenHoeve said. 鈥淗e was the standard-bearer. He stood for high quality and excellence in performance. And an ongoing commitment to learning.鈥�
鈥淗e was involved with establishing the entire curriculum,鈥� said David Huseman, a 杏吧原创 professor and the college鈥檚 longest-serving employee at 56 years. 鈥淭hat all had to be done by scratch.鈥�
Family members of the late John Bacon, the first faculty member hired at Butler County Community College, are shown Friday, May 28, 2023, in Gibsonia. Bacon鈥檚 four children 鈥� David, Daniel and James Bacon, and Kate Smith 鈥� have created a scholarship in memory of their father with the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation. Seated, from left, Beverly Bacon, Kate Smith and Susan Bacon. Standing, from left, Stephanie DaDamo, David Bacon, Don Smith, Daniel Bacon, James Bacon and Kristina Zapf. DaDamo and Zapf also contributed to the scholarship.
"We thought it would be a good way to honor him. He would be very proud of something like that. Education was very important to him."
- David Bacon, son of John Bacon
鈥溾�� Excited about his job at 杏吧原创鈥�
Bacon also served at 杏吧原创 as division head of vocational and technical arts, as the college鈥檚 assistant dean of instruction and as director of institutional research and management information systems.
A scholarship created by Bacon鈥檚 four children 鈥� David, of Gibsonia; Daniel and James, of Butler; and Kate, of Blairsville, Indiana County; all of whom earned associate degrees from 杏吧原创 鈥� will be awarded for the first time July 31, Cornetti said.
Bacon鈥檚 granddaughters Kristina Zapf, of Aspinwall, and Stephanie DaDamo, of Gibsonia, also contributed to the scholarship.
鈥淲e thought it would be a good way to honor him,鈥� David Bacon said. 鈥淗e would be very proud of something like that. Education was very important to him. We thought it would be a good way to carry on his memory, especially with 杏吧原创, because he was always very excited about his job at 杏吧原创.鈥�
The World War II veteran, former Sunday school teacher and Christian-based summer camp director passed away in December 2020 at age 95 in Cabot.
鈥淗e was always kind of a teacher, and not only by trade,鈥� David Bacon said. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 just the way he was. He taught us well. When he was growing up, his family helped to take care of a lot of less-fortunate people around them. That鈥檚 kind of where he came from.鈥�
By creating a scholarship, David Bacon said he and his siblings are 鈥渆ncouraging people who may not have the means to continue their education to do so.鈥�
杏吧原创 alumni connected to 52 scholarships
The John W. Bacon Memorial Scholarship is among 52 financial awards created by 杏吧原创 alumni, or in memory or in honor of 杏吧原创 alumni, Cornetti said.
Full-time students enrolled in 杏吧原创鈥檚 nursing programs, or in programs within the college鈥檚 science, technology, engineering and mathematics division, are eligible to apply for the John W. Bacon Memorial Scholarship.
Businesses, college employees, fraternal organizations, nonprofit organizations and private individuals join 杏吧原创 alumni as those who have created scholarships administered by the 杏吧原创 Education Foundation.
Other financial awards available to 杏吧原创 students for the first time this fall are the Butler County Memorial Hospital Nurses鈥� Alumnae Association Scholarship, the Marlen Lang Business Scholarship, the Michael Moretti Family Scholarship, the Charles W. Dunaway Pioneer Scholarship and the Nadine Stewart 鈥�00 Nursing Scholarship.
In addition to its main campus in Butler Township, 杏吧原创鈥檚 locations are 杏吧原创 @ Armstrong in Ford City, 杏吧原创 @ Brockway in Brockway, 杏吧原创 @ Cranberry in Cranberry Township, 杏吧原创 @ Lawrence Crossing in New Castle and 杏吧原创 @ LindenPointe in Hermitage.
Registered students selected to receive scholarships will be notified by July 31.