South Puget Sound Community College (SPSCC) and the SPSCC Foundation today announced a $1.8 million gift from the OJ & Mary Christine Harvey Educational Foundation dedicated to student scholarships.
This gift will have a lasting impact on SPSCC students for generations to come. Through a combination of first-year recipients and returning recipient renewals, this fund will expand SPSCC's existing scholarship program by approximately 25 students annually with awards of approximately $3,000 each. The increase in scholarship availability further amplifies SPSCC's mission to provide accessible pathways to success for all students.
The Harvey Foundation has supported student success nationwide, including gifting funds to Southeastern Oklahoma State University, the American Indian College Fund, the I Have a Dream Foundation, and the University of Colorado. In total, the foundation has disbursed over $13 million in scholarships.
Terry Minton, President of the Harvey Foundation, and his wife Claudia began preparing for the foundation's sunset in 2019. This year, they decided to gift the foundation’s remaining assets to SPSCC.
“SPSCC just felt like a perfect fit for us,” said Terry Minton. “They have a student body with need. They have both educational and technical programs. It’s in the community we’ve spent the last 30 years in.”
“It has been a pleasure working with Terry and Claudia these last few months. Their passion for our community and students is a natural fit with the work we support at SPSCC,” said Amber Wetzel, Director of Strategic Partnerships & Major Gifts at the SPSCC Foundation. “We look forward to seeing the impact their historical gift will have for years to come.”
Scholarships funded by the Harvey Foundation’s gift will be available to SPSCC students in the upcoming Fall 2024 scholarship cycle.
