Issue link: http://psai.uberflip.com/i/1381388
ASSOCIATIONINSIGHT Portable Sanitation Association International News BIWEEKLY EDITION JUNE 9, 2021 Page 11 Continued on page 12 Another large fund-raising campaign was conducted in 2012–2013 with another large goal to restart and advance the program on the self-funding principle. At the beginning of the second campaign, the Scholarship Committee released a report, saying, "72 scholarships with a total value of $187,000 have been awarded since 2004." As time passed, the cost of college increased dramatically. So in 2015, the composition of the scholarships changed. From that year forward, five scholarships of $5,000 each became the new structure of the program awards. Another structural change—unnoticed by all but the most engaged members—was the transition from leadership by a "Scholarship Committee" reporting to the Board, to that of a "Scholarship Commission" accountable only for carrying out its mission according to broad, Board-approved parameters. This change occurred in 2015. This step codified the arms-length nature of the Scholarship Program, ensuring members and contributors that the handling of donations and selection of winners is completely independent of other PSAI business activities. In 2015, the chair of the Scholarship Commission changed hands. Ned Carpenter who had led this well-respected group since 2004 retired his position, and the equally well- respected and experienced industry leader, Lee Sola, took over. Given the similarity in expertise and shared knowledge of this program, the transition was invisible to many members. In 2020, Past President Mike Rice became the Commission Chair. He was followed in 2021 by Nancy Gump and Terri Wigley who are now serving as co-chairs of the Scholarship Commission. Scholarship Recipients—The True Goal of the Program Since 2004, the PSAI Scholarship Program has awarded scholarships to 119 students with a value of $382,500. These students represent a cross section of America as well as international locations. From large metropolitan areas to rural locations, aspiring college students attending community colleges, small schools and major universities began their careers with assistance from the PSAI. Winning a PSAI Scholarship isn't easy. Between 20 and 30 students typically apply for the five annual awards. Applicants send their materials including personal background information covering everything from grade point averages to community involvement, recommendations from teachers, career aspirations, and an essay concerning portable sanitation, directly to Scholarship America. Professionals there evaluate the packages using a system that weighs the various aspects of the student's background and essay. They create a rank-ordered list and submit the top five students to the PSAI. We then confirm that the top five are eligible for the award, which means verifying that they are the employee or child of a member company. Below are some stories and facts that show the real life impacts of the PSAI's successful Scholarship Program. International Recipients As mentioned previously, there have indeed been international recipients of scholarships. In 2004, the first year of the program, Katherine Ranck (sponsored by Toi-Toi in Hong Kong) received an award for her studies at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh. In 2007, Katherine's relative, Alexandra Ranck—sponsored again by Toi-Toi in Hong Kong—was awarded a scholarship while studying at Georgetown University. History of the PSAI Scholarship Program…continued from page 10 Terri Wigley Nancy Gump