KSC Awards First 9/11 Scholarship

KEENE, N.H. 5/7/02 Joyce Parent, a first-year student at Keene State College in Keene, N.H., is the first recipient of the Colleges new 911 Scholarship Fund.

The Scholarship Fund was established by Michael McCarthy, a lecturer in communications at KSC, and his wife, Susan, to provide financial assistance to Keene State students who have been affected by the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11.

Parent, from Trumbull, Conn., has received a grant of $750. Without the grant, Joyce says, it would be difficult for her to stay at Keene State. After the terrorist attacks, Joyces father, a chauffeur who works in New York City, lost almost all his business. The family is surviving on the income of Parent, her mother and her older sisters.

During high school, Joyce worked three jobs to do her bit for her family. When she was accepted to Keene State, she made a deal with her parents. We worked out that if they could pay for my first year of college, I would pay for my books and supplies, explains Joyce. I was really worried that I wouldnt be able to afford to stay on at Keene State, so Im really excited to receive the grant.

In the future, grants from the 911 Scholarship will be awarded to students who demonstrate a dire need for assistance who, without this financial aid, would be unable to continue their education, says Laurie Tilton, assistant director of advancement at Keene State.

For additional information or to make a contribution to the fund, please phone Laurie Tilton in the Keene State Office of Advancement at 603-358-2378.