UNK-Long-time educators Raymond and Ruth Schmitz honor their son Glen with a unique scholarship at UNK to represent each family member’s focus on education.
They created the Schmitz Family Scholarship with a personal memorial gift to the University of Nebraska Foundation and with gifts from family and friends. ItÕs now a ,000 endowment to provide perpetual student scholarships.
Raymond Schmitz taught accounting for 28 years at UNK and retired in 1992. Ruth Schmitz is chair of the management and marketing department and has worked at UNK since 1972. Their son Glen, a student ambassador while at UNK, graduated in 1992 and went on to teach business at Martin High School in Arlington, Texas. He passed away in August 1998.
“Glen believed education was important and enjoyed teaching,” said Ruth Schmitz. “And since education is so important to all of us, we decided to set up a scholarship for students in three academic areas.”
In recognition of their individual teaching careers, the endowment provides at least three annual scholarships Ðone each to an accounting, management information systems and business education student.
“It is a real tribute to the College of Business and Technology that two of our dedicated faculty, Ruth and Ray, have started an endowed scholarship to honor Glen,” said Galen Hadley, dean of the College. “This is an everlasting tribute to Glen and his love of education and the University of Nebraska at Kearney. It enables us to help future young people reach their dream in the same way that we helped him.”
Raymond and Ruth Schmitz hope the scholarship helps reduce the excessive hours some students must work, so they have more time for academics and participating in university activities. “If they are too busy working, they donÕt have time to take advantage of many campus activities and opportunities,” said Ruth Schmitz.
