Kurr Foundation Scholarship Fund of Tulpehocken Area School District
This scholarship fund is named in honor of Mrs. Sara (Kurr) Zock, a native of Bethel Township and generous benefactor to the district for many years. Mrs. Zock died in 2001 at the age of 97.
Eligible applicants are graduating Tulpehocken Area High School students who attended Bethel Elementary School or who reside in the area currently served by Bethel Elementary and who will be pursuing post-secondary education as full-time students. The selection committee will take the following items into consideration when reviewing the applications and selecting the recipients: cumulative GPA; class rank; extracurricular activities and community service; essay; and financial need.
Elizabeth Horvath Swimming Scholarship Fund
This fund was established by Stephanie Hunsberger to commemorate the influence that her grandmother, Elizabeth Horvath, had on Stephanie’s achievements and focus toward her goals. Elizabeth encouraged Stephanie to remember that in difficult times we must fill our hearts with understanding and compassion, always focusing on the improvement of ourselves. Elizabeth inspired Stephanie to remember that when it seems like we are alone in our lane, there is always something greater along for the swim that is able to lift our arms and move our legs to the wall.
This fund will provide scholarships to seniors graduating from Berks County high schools who intend to further their education after high school in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, who swam on a high school or club swim team in at least their senior year of high school and are intending to swim on the college team or the college club team. Applicants must have achieved a cumulative GPA of 2.5 or above. In addition, applicants must not have any disciplinary infractions. Preference will be given to an applicant who persevered through difficulties to achieve success, whether it be success in swimming, school, or life in general.
Twin Valley Community Education Foundation/Dorothy S. Groff Scholarship Fund
The purpose of the Twin Valley Community Education Foundation/Dorothy S. Groff Scholarship Fund is to provide an annual scholarship to a senior at Twin Valley High School who is an outstanding student on the basis of his/her mathematical ability and overall character and attitude toward school and community.
The recipient must:
- be attending an accredited four-year college or university;
- be majoring in a science-type field that has a heavy concentration in math or minor in mathematics (i.e. engineering and industrial technology, applied sciences, physical sciences, business and management, pharmacy, pre-medical, computer science, teaching of mathematics, etc.) — preference will be given to a student who intends to teach mathematics in the public school system;
- have a high school GPA of 3.4 or higher;
- have demonstrated outstanding character and attitude toward school and community, and;
- have attended Twin Valley High School for one or more years.
Bill Brumbach Sportsmanship Award
Not accepting applications. This scholarship is awarded by a committee at Wilson High School, with consideration given to all Wilson seniors.
Bill Brumbach Sportsmanship Award supports graduation awards for seniors graduating from Wilson High School who are known for team spirit, fair play, enthusiasm and a willingness to hustle. This award commemorates Wilson’s former athletic director who was instrumental in building the interscholastic sports program.
Helen Monkiewicz Kubacki Scholarship Fund for Wilkes University
Not accepting applications. Scholarship recipients are selected by faculty at Wilkes University Nursing Department.
In 2003, Daniel Kubacki established the Helen Monkiewicz Kubacki Scholarship Fund For Wilkes University in memory of his wife. Helen was a graduate of the Class of 1936 at Mount Carmel High School. She received her RN degree from Reading Hospital School of Nursing in 1943 and a BS in Nursing Education in 1968 from Wilkes College. She touched the lives of many through her nursing practice and teaching. Daniel Kubacki passed away in 2007.
This fund supports scholarships for students who are currently enrolled in either the Generic or Registered Nurse Undergraduate Program at Wilkes University. This award is not eligible to high school seniors. Eligible individuals must have successfully completed at least one year in either the Generic or Registered Nurse Undergraduate Program at Wilkes University. The student will be selected based on academic and extracurricular accomplishments, and financial need. The recipient shall be a better than average student academically, achieving a 2.5 average or above. The scholarship recipient shall be someone who is active in school and community activities and has a strong desire to become a nurse.
Andrew J. Straka, Jr. Memorial Scholarship Fund
Not accepting applications. This scholarship fund is awarded by a committee at Wilson High School, with consideration given to all Wilson seniors.
His family and friends established this fund in 2004 in memory of Andrew J. Straka, Jr.. Andrew was a 1961 graduate of Wilson High School, where he has an outstanding participant on the football, baseball and basketball teams. He was inducted into Wilson High School’s Sports Hall of Fame in 1988. He also played baseball for four years at Moravian College. Andrew passed away in May 2004 at 61.
The purpose of the fund is to provide an annual scholarship to a Wilson High School male or female senior who has taken part in at least two sports in each of his or her high school years. The recipient must rank in the top one-half of the class academically, but does not necessarily have to be the best academic student. The recipient should have excelled in athletics and displayed the qualities of exemplary character, sportsmanship and attitude, which are qualities that Andrew Straka portrayed during his lifetime. The annual recipient will be furthering his or her education after high school at any 2-year or 4-year college, university, vocational/technical school, academy, or any other educational institution.
No application is needed. This scholarship is awarded by a committee at Wilson High School, with consideration given to all Wilson seniors.
Marguerite E. Swartz Scholarship Fund
Marguerite E. Swartz (nee Addams) graduated from Wilson High School in 1937 and remained fond of Wilson all of her life. She spent her youth on a farm along State Hill Road and operated a deli stand at the Shillington Farmers Market. Marguerite passed away in 2001.
She established this fund through her will to be used for scholarships for seniors graduating from Wilson High School who have a financial need and for former Wilson High School graduates who have a financial need.
In order to apply, applicants must have achieved a cumulative GPA of at least 2.75 in high school, and must have attended only Wilson High School in grades 11 & 12. Decisions will be based on academics, character, and financial need.
Christopher Whitehead Memorial Fund
Not accepting applications. This scholarship is awarded by the Wilson High School Counseling Office.
This fund honors the memory of Christopher Whitehead, who was a Wilson student at the time of his accidental death. This fund provides awards to graduating seniors from Wilson High School who have suffered from and overcome physical difficulties to lead a positive life.
Michael S. Ziolkowski Memorial Scholarship Fund
The purpose of the fund is to provide scholarships to both male and female graduates of Wilson High School who have participated in sports at Wilson. The recipients will be pursuing college degrees and will be playing sports in college. The scholarship recipients shall be better than average students academically, achieving at least a B average. The recipients should be active in working with youth to teach them about sports and sportsmanship. The ideal candidate will possess the characteristics exemplified by Michael Ziolkowski: high character, good sportsmanship, and a zest for life.
Not accepting applications. This scholarship is awarded by a committee at Wilson High School, with consideration given to all Wilson seniors.
Wilson Scholarship Fund
This fund supports scholarships for students graduating from Wilson High School who are pursuing post-secondary education of any kind (college, university, trade or technical school) and have balanced extracurricular activities with academics, participated in activities that serve others, and shown academic improvement during their secondary education years. Recipients must have demonstrated motivation, good behavior, school spirit, a sense of purpose, and have a financial need. Applicants may be required to participate in an interview.
In 2015, the scholarship fund received its largest donation, which was featured in the Reading Eagle.
Excerpts from the article:
Gary Coller isn’t a wealthy businessman or the heir to a great fortune. The former Wilson School Board member is a retired teacher who also drove a bus for years, and he owns a modest house in West Lawn.
Yet Coller donated $100,000 to the Wilson Scholarship Fund, which has been helping Wilson High School graduates go to college for nearly 20 years.
“I just think it’s phenomenal that he did that,” said Dr. Rudy Ruth, Wilson superintendent.
Coller is chairman of the scholarship fund committee and decided to make the donation in honor of his parents, Vivian and Earl R. “Dick” Coller, who live in Reading. The fund is administered by the Berks County Community Foundation.
Gary taught science and driver education in the Reading School District, drove a Wilson school bus and was the district’s transportation supervisor in the late 1970s and early ’80s. He drove a bus in the Wyomissing and Gov. Mifflin school districts for 12 years after his retirement. He was on the Wilson School Board for nearly 25 years.
“I’m not well off – not by any means,” Gary said. “But my parents and grandparents taught me to live within my means.”
His donation came from his investments as well as investments that were passed down from his father and grandfather.
Gary originally intended to leave the money to the scholarship fund in his will, but decided he would much rather give it now and have the chance to see students benefit…
It was around the time the “Pay It Forward” movie came out that Gary became a member of the scholarship committee.
He knew he wanted to do something to boost the fund, and started to work on a plan last summer with his financial advisor, Paul Marrella, who also sits on the scholarship committee.
Gary later called the Berks County Community Foundation to discuss his plan to donate $100,000.
“He wanted to set an example of paying it forward and I said, ‘Well, Gary, that would show them how to pay it forward,’ ” said Frances A. Aitken, the foundation’s senior vice president for finance and operations.
In the 19 years the fund has existed, the biggest donation after Gary’s has been $8,000 and the average gift is around $125, she said.
“He’s not a Rockefeller. He’s not a Bill Gates. And he made this gift,” Aitken said…
Bob Weirich, who is one of the fund’s founders and was chairman until about a year ago, was stunned when he found out about the donation.
“Gary has done so much for Wilson,” he said. “It’s unbelievable what he has done and continues to do.”
