Penn State Great Valley hosted a scholarship brunch on Saturday, April 22, to bring together 40 donors and students to celebrate the impact of philanthropy. For the summer 2022, fall 2022 and spring 2023 semesters, 21 donor-funded scholarships were awarded to 50 students, with funds totaling over $181,000.
Joseph Henry, a 2022 Fundraising Volunteer of the Year, was one of the donors in attendance. In 2018, he and his wife, Marilyn, established the Joseph P. Henry and Marilyn H. Henry Part-Time Graduate Scholarship to help alleviate the financial burden many students face.
A 1976 alumnus of the College of Health and Human Development, Joseph Henry received emergency student aid in his junior year when his father lost his job. Henry credited that support as the reason he was able to finish his degree and build an impressive 30-year career at Independence Blue Cross (IBX).
Henry earned his MBA from Temple University on a part-time basis with IBX paying for his tuition, something Henry noted isn’t as common anymore.
“These are the reasons why my wife and I and so many others have established scholarships to support part-time graduate students,” Henry said. “We have been there. I met future CIOs, CFOs, CEOs and entrepreneurs at the scholarship brunch, and I know they’ll have the opportunity to give back to their communities and alma mater in the future. That will be the best way for them to say ‘thank you’ to everyone who supported them.”
Molly Johnson, recipient of the Madlyn and Michael Hanes Part-Time Graduate Scholarship, and Christopher Tkatch, recipient of the Linda and Jerry Hogan Scholarship, Robert and Barbara Bednar Scholarship and Diane M. Disney Chancellor’s Book Bag Award, discussed the positive impact their scholarships have had on their ability to pursue their career and educational goals.