Bellisario College of Communications

Alumnus endows trustee scholarship in honor of his parents

A Penn State alumnus who serves as a vice president for the National Rural Telecommunications Cooperative has provided a gift to the University to endow the Christopher J. and Patricia S. Martin Trustee Scholarship in the College of Communications.

Chris Martin, who earned a degree in journalism from Penn State in 1992, directs sales and marketing efforts for NRTC, which helps rural electric and telephone utilities strengthen their businesses with solutions uniquely suited to the needs of rural customers. He created the scholarship to honor his parents.

"The education I received at Penn State and from the College of Communications was second to none and provided a solid foundation for my personal endeavors," said Martin, the youngest person to establish a Trustee Scholarship in the College. "It's important for me to do my small part to give back and ensure that deserving students have the opportunity to pursue their education at this place that means so much to me. It's even more special to create a scholarship in my parents' names, because it was through their sacrifices and support that I have such opportunities."

The Trustee Matching Scholarship Program at Penn State, created in 2002 by the Board of Trustees, aims to ensure that a Penn State education is accessible to qualified students, regardless of their financial means. Under the program, the University matches 5 percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines those funds with income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the scholarship.

A $50,000 gift payable over five years or less is the minimum gift eligible for the program. Donors may designate their gift to any campus or college and may specify a major field of study as a first preference. For the Martin Trustee Scholarship, that first preference is for students from the state of Virginia.

During the 2008-2009 academic year, 101 students in the College of Communications earned Trustee Scholarships through the existing endowments. Individual awards ranged from $1,200 to $1,500.

The NRTC, founded in 1986, represents the advanced telecommunications and information technology interests of more than 1,400 rural utilities and affiliates in 48 states.

The cooperative provides products and services developed specifically to meet the needs of rural utilities and their customers, such as high-speed Internet access via satellite, full service Internet access and support, automated meter reading, SmartSCADA, wireless technologies, power quality products, long distance programs, mobile phone service, IP backbone services, direct broadcast satellite service with DirecTV and Internet protocol television.
 

Chris Martin meets with a communications student during a networking and mentoring event at the Nittany Lion Inn. Credit: Steve Sampsell / Penn StateCreative Commons

Last Updated November 18, 2010

Contact