Local high school graduates awarded Pritchett Trust scholarships to PSU

  Friday, November 8, 2019 1:00 PM
  People and Society, Giving Back, News

Pittsburg, KS

The Pittsburg State University Scholarship Committee awarded $50,000 in scholarships from the Pritchett Trust to 109 graduates of high schools in Crawford County, Kansas, to be used to further their education at PSU in the 2019-20 academic year. 

Students were honored with a ceremony and reception on Wednesday in the Bicknell Family Center for the Arts, a facility that also has received financial support from the Pritchett Trust.  

“We appreciate the fact that these local students chose to stay home to get their education here at Pittsburg State University, and we understand the importance of that decision,” said PSU President Steve Scott in remarks during the ceremony. “It’s our hope that after they graduate from PSU, they’ll make another important decision: to stay home and invest in our community.” 

All recipients have a GPA of 3.0 or higher and have not received any other major scholarship assistance. Recipients are full-time undergraduate students seeking their first degree. The majority of the awards were $500, to be divided between the Fall and Spring semesters.  

“I am grateful for the Pritchett Trust and the support the scholarship provides for myself and other recipients at PSU,” said Libby Vogel, a graduate of St. Mary’s-Colgan one of the scholarship recipients. 

The Pritchett Trust Fund, administered by BMO Harris Bank in Pittsburg, Kansas, was established after the deaths of longtime local residents William and Athlyn C. Pritchett with a mission of improving the quality of life in Pittsburg and Crawford County by strengthening children, youth, and families, and supporting projects that serve this population. Since its inception, the trust has awarded more than $9.8 million to organizations and individuals.  

Josh Proffitt, vice president and branch manager of BMO in Pittsburg, presented each student who attended the ceremony with a certificate and congratulations. 

“We appreciate that BMO Harris Bank, which administers the Trust; as well as members of the Pritchett Trust Advisory Committee, who direct the funds; understand the importance of providing a quality education to students in the area,” said Kathleen Flannery, vice president of University Advancement and president and CEO of the PSU Foundation.    

Members of the Pritchett Trust Advisory Committee are Rick Baden, Tim Collar, Dennis Crain, Ron Marrone, Frances Mitchelson, Raymond Ryan, Ronald Seglie, and Vince VanBecelaere.