UNIVERSITY PARK – Mark and Lisa Krosse wanted to do something to show their appreciation for the woman who, working as the family’s nanny for 13 years, helped them raise their two children. How they ultimately honored Edna Garth of Ford City, will benefit generations of Penn State students.
The Krosses have committed $50,000 to the University to endow the Edna Garth Trustee Scholarship to support undergraduates in any academic program in the College of Health and Human Development. First preference for the award will go to graduates of Ford City High School in the Armstrong (County) School District, where Garth now lives in retirement.
“Edna is one of the most wonderful, caring people Lisa and I have ever met,” said Mark Krosse. “She has a natural ability with small children, and we wanted to honor this special person in a very special way.”
The Krosses of Westport, Conn., are retired IBM executives. Neither is a Penn State alumnus or previous donor to the University.
“Actually, I discovered Penn State’s Trustee Scholarships on the Internet,” Mark Krosse said. “They have matching funds and can begin aiding students right away, which was important to us. And we knew Edna had family roots in Pennsylvania.
“We selected the College of Health and Human Development because of its strong programs in family studies and childhood development.”
Implemented in 2002 upon approval by the University’s Board of Trustees, the program has a unique matching component: the University matches 5 percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines these funds with income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the scholarship. The matching funds become available to students as soon as the donors sign scholarship guidelines.
While the Krosses are new to the Penn State family, Edna Garth has a strong connection to the University: Her son Gregory holds an associate’s degree from Penn State New Kensington and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State Harrisburg, and graduated from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center College of Medicine as a medical doctor.
The Krosses’ two children are now ages 15 and 18. Their family met Edna Garth through a New York agency.
Recipients of the Edna Garth Trustee Scholarship will be determined by the College of Health and Human Development scholarship committee in coordination with Penn State’s Office of Student Aid.