$50,000 Trust Provides 50 Annual Scholarships for Cy-Fair Grads
Edwin C. Schroeder's dream comes true at Cy-Fair College
Cypress, Texas (Dec. 1, 2006) Thanks to a partnership with the Cypress Fairbanks Educational Foundation (CFEF), $1,000 scholarships for 50 recipients are available for use at Cy-Fair College or any college in the North Harris Montgomery Community College District.
A recent fall donor reception gave Cy-Fair College the opportunity to salute the CFEF and the Edwin C. Schroeder Trust, which will provide up to $50,000 in annual scholarships for Cy-Fair Independent School District graduates, with a minimum of three scholarships awarded at each Cy-Fair ISD high school.
The trust was originally established as an agricultural scholarship for Cy-Fair High School students in memory of Edwin C. Schroeder, said Dr. Diane Troyer, Cy-Fair College president.
"With the changing student population and growth in the Cy-Fair community, this year, Mr. Bob Adams and the CFEF board worked with Schroeder trustees to find a way to increase the impact of the trust," she said. "The result is this wonderful endowment fund that from the interest alone, will produce perpetual $1,000 scholarships for Cy-Fair ISD graduates for years to come."
Sharing some insight into Edwin C. Schroeder, an ag teacher, driver's ed teacher, counselor and scholarship founder, was Schroeder executor Laurie Snyder, who met Ed Schroeder in 1985 while working at CFISD's Alternative Learning Center.
"We immediately bonded when we discovered we were both native Houstonians, that Ed and my father shared the exact same birthday and exact same year, and that we both had strong interests in vocational education and the importance of higher education," said Snyder.
They had many conversations about the importance of work experience combined with higher education to prepare students for success in the workforce, said Snyder, who not only participated in vocational programs in high school, but acquired academic scholarships to major Texas universities.
"Ed valued the honest, hardworking young people who truly wanted to continue their education but did not have the funds to reach their academic need," she said. "So he chose to create the Edwin C. Schroeder Scholarship Foundation to help these students continue their education and become a valuable member of the Cy-Fair Community. I only wish Ed were here today to see his dream come true."
Leigh Ann Thomspon, CFEF board chair, said it took a lot of effort and support from many people to rework the trust and now with good money management, it is hoped that this endowment will fund 50 scholarships every year.
"This new partnership benefits all involved, particularly the students," said Dr. Diana Pino, dean of student services at Cy-Fair College. "In the spirit of Cy-Fair College, this is just another collaboration with a community partner that supports Cy-Fair ISD and student success."
Students can apply for these scholarships with their high school counselor or go through the Cy-Fair College web site at www.cy-faircollege.com/goto/cfef for applications and instructions. Completed applications should be turned into the high school counselor's office.
For information on this scholarship opportunity, contact a high school counselor or call Dr. Diana Pino, dean of student services at Cy-Fair College, at 281-290-3982.
CUTLINE for photo Cy-Fair 8131: Celebrating
scholarship support with a plaque unveiling at the fall donor reception
are representatives from Cy-Fair College, the Cypress Fairbanks
Educational Foundation and the Edwin C. Schroeder Trust including, from
left, Chris Cunico, Dr. Diana Pino, Jerry Albrecht, Dennis Vickery, Dr.
Diane Troyer, John Fox, Steve Bertram, Marie Holmes, Debbie Blackshear,
Ted Lewis, Laurie Snyder and Leigh Ann Thompson.
About Cy-Fair College
Cy-Fair College is the 5th comprehensive college in the North Harris
Montgomery Community College District. Cy-Fair College has two
locations - the Fairbanks Center (14955 Northwest Freeway) and the
Cy-Fair College comprehensive campus (9191 Barker Cypress Road). For
more information about Cy-Fair College and its programs, call
281-290-3200 or visit the Web site at www.cy-faircollege.com.
About NHMCCD
North Harris Montgomery Community College District, among the five
largest and fastest growing community college districts in the state,
comprises North Harris College, Kingwood College, Tomball College,
Montgomery College, Cy-Fair College, seven satellite centers and the
University Center. For more information about the district and its
programs, call 832-813-6500 or visit the Web site at www.nhmccd.edu.