Fall Creek Area Foundation reflect on biggest sum of scholarships in recent years

Matthew Baughman, The Leader-Telegram, Eau Claire, Wis.
·2 min read

FALL CREEK — Fall Creek Area Foundation President Jennifer Mason said that this year was one of their foundations biggest years with student scholarships.

But with students facing difficulties regarding FAFSA applications and worries about affording college, scholarships almost seem to pose more of a value this year in helping mitigate tuition costs.

In supporting students during this transitional period from secondary to postsecondary school, foundations are typically defined by their support to organizations and individuals for a variety of charitable purposes.

With Fall Creek Area Foundation being able to give out a total of $38,000 to local students and organizations, Mason said it has been one of their largest sum of donations in recent years. She said that part of the success is due to community involvement and interest, especially with the inclusion of more endowed scholarships which repeat each academic year.

“It is not very often that we get new, endowed scholarships,” she said. “Most of the endowed scholarships that we have set up now were set up in 1991 or shortly thereafter.”

Mason said their organization relies a lot on volunteer work from their members, which are committed to making that big impact. Reflecting on their year, she said it is nice to see all the community support coming through

A lot of the scholarships are very personalized this year, Mason said, as donations from local organizations and those given in memory of residents seem to focus on a lot of things which these families and groups look for in students.

And despite it being a time when education can be tough, Mason said these students are still thriving academically as well as in the community. That may be what is resulting in an outcropping of support this year.

“There are sometimes more kids wanting to go to your school than you even have teachers for and there’s always funding questions…” said Mason. “A lot of these folks come to all of the games and the music events and they see the same kids up there just doing their best and I think they take great pride in that, and they want to support them in any way they can.”