Forty donors and students of Penn State Great Valley gathered to celebrate at a scholarship brunch last month.

For the past three 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, 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.

The recipients discussed the positive impact that the scholarships had on their careers.

Molly Johnson spent eight years working on Capitol Hill before moving to the Philadelphia area. Outside of her job at Comcast, she began volunteering with Work to Ride, a nonprofit organization that provides equestrian programs for under-resourced youths.

After a year and a half, Work to Ride offered her a full-time position as director of operations and communication. Johnson credited her time in the master of business administration program for the success she’s had in the position, including leading a $10 million capital campaign.

Tkatch, a concurrent master of business administration and master of finance student, left his job as a sales engineer at Lincoln Electric to focus on his studies full time after discovering a passion for finance. His decision to switch careers paid off, and he’ll begin a job in corporate finance after he graduates this May.

“Without the support of each donor who generously gifted me a scholarship award, I would not be in the position I am in today — confident that wherever my future takes me, I will have the ability to support my family and be successful in my future career,” Tkatch said at the brunch.

To learn more about the impact of giving and the continuing need for support, visit Penn State’s website. 

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