The Alle-Kiski Society of the Penn State Alumni Association awarded $4,000 in scholarships recently to three Penn State New Kensington students.
The recipients are Apollo, Pa., residents -- Melissa Gemballa, Jaclyn Burkett and Erika Watson. The total amount is the most awarded by the society in its 13-year history of supporting campus students. The society's scholarship, currently endowed at $52,000, is funded through the proceeds of the annual alumni golf tournament.
Gemballa, a senior business administration major in the Honors program, was awarded $2,000. She carries a 3.99 grade-point average, and was named outstanding junior in the business program at the 2010 Academic and Student Achievement Awards ceremony. In addition to her academic prowess, Gemballa is active in numerous extra-curriculum activities, serving as a Lion Ambassador, orientation leader, and treasurer of the Business Club.
Burkett is a senior psychology major, and received a $1,000 scholarship from the Alle-Kiski Society. She carries a 3.69 GPA, and was elected to Psi Chi, a national honor society for psychology students. Community service is a major part of Burkett's off-campus activities. She is a clerk on the board of elections for Orchard Hills in Armstrong County, and participates in voter registration drives.
Watson is the recipient of a $1,000 scholarship. A senior communications major, she carries a 3.99 GPA, and like Gemballa, earned the top academic award for the junior class of the communications program. During the summer, Watson earned a first-place award at the Pennsylvania Communication Association's Undergraduate Writing Competition. Her winning paper, "The Art of Rhetoric Through Puppy Mill Legislation in Pennsylvania," will be included in a panel discussion at the communications association's annual convention in October. She is the editor-in-chief of the Nittany Pride, the campus news magazine. She also is active in the community, serving as a volunteer the past seven years for Kiski Valley Cat and Kitten Rescue Inc., an organization that provides shelter for homeless cats.
Since 1998, the society has awarded $30,000 to 38 campus students. The amount awarded in expected to rise dramatically in the next few years as the alumni group increases its endowment level by 50 percent over the next four years. At its regular monthly meeting in April, the board of directors approved a motion to donate $25,000 to Penn State's new fundraising campaign.
The society pledged to increase the principal of its Alle-Kiski Society Endowed Scholarship from its current total of $51,000 to $76,000 by June 2014. The philanthropic action was a response to a request by Roger Williams, executive director of the Penn State Alumni Association, for local alumni chapters and campus societies to accelerate the growth of their individual endowments during the University's fundraising effort "For the Future: The Campaign for Penn State Students."
Endowed gifts are held by the University in perpetuity. The initial gift is invested and only a portion of the average annual investment return is spent. The remaining income is added to the principal as protection against inflation. The society's scholarship was established in 1992 with an initial principal of $15,000. Six years later, it was fully endowed at $25,000. In addition to scholarships, the society sponsors a variety of campus activities throughout the year, including an alumni tent at the Fall Festival on Sept. 25.
Penn State alumni and friends are encouraged to re-connect with the University and campus by attending the Alle-Kiski Society meetings that are held at 7 p.m. on the third Monday of each month at Dingbats Restaurant/Royal Gatherings in the Pittsburgh Mills Mall. The next meeting is Sept. 20.
For more about the Alle-Kiski Society, contact Bill Woodard, uxw1@psu.edu via e-mail or visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/Alumni/alumorg.htm?cn613 online.
For a list of previous scholarship recipients, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/43346.htm#NEWS43346 online.
For more about the alumni tent at the Fall Festival, visit http://www.nk.psu.edu/43284.htm#NEWS43284 online.