Penn State DuBois announces that Swift, Kennedy and Company has generously pledged $100,000 to the campus that will support students and programs. Through a planned gift of life insurance, the company will provide that support in two different ways. With $50,000, the Swift, Kennedy and Company Endowed Scholarship at Penn State DuBois will be established. The additional $50,000 will benefit the Anita D. McDonald Endowment for the Support of Children and Youth.
Consideration for the Swift, Kennedy and Company Endowed Scholarship will be given to all undergraduate students enrolled or planning to enroll at Penn State DuBois who have superior academic records and a financial need.
The Anita D. McDonald Endowment for the Support of Children and Youth was established by the Fairman Family in the former campus chancellor's honor. It is intended to provide scholarship support for Kids in College (KIC); The Art, Science and Technology Institute (AST); athletic camps; and other Penn State DuBois programs for children and youth between the ages of 4 and 15.
Swift, Kennedy and Company has been dedicated to the success of Penn State DuBois students for decades, as company President George Heigel explained. He said, "This gift is simply a continuation of our company’s support of higher education at the DuBois Campus of Penn State University. Our company’s founding father, Mr. Patrick Swift, served as the first president of the DuBois Educational Foundation (DEF) back in 1944 and Swift, Kennedy and Company's leadership has since continued to serve in leadership roles on the advisory board of the DuBois campus." Additionally, Patrick Swift had such an impact that a building on campus bears his name.
Heigel, himself, currently serves as president of the DEF. Both he and his wife, Deborah, also attended Penn State DuBois and are 1981 graduates of Penn State. Their oldest son, George III, also graduated from Penn State in 2009.
Heigel said leadership at his company has always contributed to the success of higher education in the area because they feel it's such a worthwhile cause.
"To maintain enrollment and facilities, the DuBois community has and must continue to financially support the campus," Heigel said. "Our gift will allow the campus to continue running the successful Kids in College program and provide an endowed scholarship to a deserving student attending our campus. Our gift is just one of many made by local individuals and businesses over the years, who recognize the importance of having the presence of Penn State University in our community. We are, and we always will be, Penn State."
Chancellor Melanie Hatch expressed her gratitude for Swift, Kennedy and Company's commitment to the campus, and the enthusiasm company leaders have for education.
"We deeply appreciate the generosity of Swift, Kennedy and Company in making this gift to our campus," said Hatch. "Scholarship opportunities funded by gifts like this make higher education possible for so many students who otherwise may not have the means to go to college. Swift, Kennedy and Company has a long history of support for our campus and our community, and this is just the latest in a long list of contributions they’ve made that help to improve the lives of people in our area."