New Scholarships: Family Scholarship Endowment Program

Mr. Vinit Asar has long been an ardent supporter of Aquinas College and remembers fondly the excellent education and the strong bonds of friendship fostered at the College.  Mr. Asar is currently President and Chief Operating Officer at Hanger Orthopedic Group in Austin Texas.  Prior to that Mr. Asar spent 18 years at Johnson and Johnson in a broad continuum of responsibilities from Finance, Product Development, Manufacturing, Marketing and Sales in the US and in Europe. Mr. Asar has a B.S.B.A from Aquinas College and an M.B.A. from Lehigh University.

"Vinit highly values education and has high aspirations for his own children. He is pleased to be able to establish this scholarship during the 125th Anniversary to assist the next generation of Aquinas students have access to his beloved Alma mater. He would really like to highlight the dedication of Mrs. Carol Clemons who

was in charge of the International student program. He remembers from the moment she picked him up from the airport until the day he graduated from Aquinas she was very involved in his education. It was this dedication that inspired him to create this new scholarship. In his own words Vinit describes his experience: “I would like mentioned that as a foreign student and coming to the US in 1986 as a freshman at AQ, the Aquinas experience was nothing short of excellent in large part because of the people that make Aquinas College what it is!”

The Asar Family Scholarship is unrestricted and will be awarded by the financial aid office to a student with the greatest need.  The scholarship is renewable for five years provided the student is full time and remains in good standing with the College.

This scholarship fund is dedicated to Loretta Daele Barnes whose example of faith, hard work and perseverance were the prime movers in the lives of many, including her two sons George Barnes ‘55 and Tom Barnes ‘68.

Loretta’s life was an example of what it takes to overcome the challenges of life. Her values were simple - faith in God, hard work and dedication to family. She never complained about the difficulties in her life, but rather, she prayed hard and left the rest in God’s hands.

When the time came, Loretta begged her son George to go to Aquinas by saying “just try it” for a semester. George did, graduated, and was followed by his brother Tom. She desperately wanted her sons to have more possibilities and opportunities than she had in her life. Neither George nor Tom ever regretted their mother’s plea to attend Aquinas. They believe that their lives have been forever

enriched by the Dominican and lay faculty who not only taught course work, but also a way to live a fulfilling life. Of equal importance were the many long term relationships that they formed with fellow students at Aquinas. These relationships enriched and strengthened George and Tom’s lives in ways that they could never have anticipated or imagined.

This scholarship is an opportunity for George and Tom to honor a woman of tremendous character and substance who never had the opportunity to attend high school or college but would have undoubtedly persevered and graduated.  Loretta’s sons would like to help another young man or women “just try it” and hopefully provide the life-changing experience that they had by attending and graduating from Aquinas College.

The Loretta Daele Barnes Scholarship Fund is unrestricted and will be awarded by the financial aid office to a student with the greatest need. The scholarship is renewable for five years provided the student is full time and remains in good standing with the College.

In recognition of Aquinas College’s 125th Anniversary alumni and friends have started The Dr. Paul Brewer Instrumental Music Scholarship in honor of Dr. Paul Brewer and his contribution to instrumental music and especially Jazz.

Originally from Oklahoma, Dr. Paul Brewer is currently Director of Instrumental Music (Wind Ensemble and Jazz Bands) at Aquinas College. Since 1990 he has also been on the summer jazz faculty at the Interlochen Arts Camp where he primarily teaches jazz composition/ arranging and jazz improvisation.

He has an impressive list of education credits, having taught music and directed student bands at every age level. Paul was featured as a clinician at the 1998 International Association of Jazz Educators conference in New York City and again in 2002 in Toronto, Canada. During the 1990s, Brewer was Director of Jazz Studies at the University of Southern Colorado. Paul established a jazz

camp at the university and continues the tradition as Director of the Aquinas Jazz Camp each June.

Brewer has appeared with over 50 artists, including Milt Jackson, J.J. Johnson, Mel Torme, Eddie Daniels, Dr. Billy Taylor, Max Roach, Bob Hope, Lena Horne, and Leon Russell.

The Dr. Paul Brewer Scholarship will be awarded to a music student (major or minor) and preference will be given to those studying lower brass and participating in both the concert and jazz bands. The Brewer scholarship may continue to be awarded to a student throughout his/her Aquinas career as long as he/she is a full-time and in good standing at the College. The scholarship recipients will be selected by either the head of the department of Music in conjunction with the director of the concert/jazz bands.

Mr. Edward Carlson has had a rewarding experience at Aquinas College and has enjoyed meaningful lifelong friendships that have spanned the decades.  For this reason he and his wife Mrs. Maureen Carlson have decided to create the Carlson Family Scholarship to provide the next generation with a chance at a meaningful Aquinas education.

Mr. Carlson believes it was his education at Aquinas that gave him the springboard for his successful career in health care finance and administration.  He credits the lifelong Aquinas family friendships, still very active today with enriching his life.  He is now retired and honored to be elected to serve as a member of the Board of Trustees.

The Professor Gary M. Eberle Scholarship was started by Aquinas Alumni to honor Gary M. Eberle MA, for his contribution to Aquinas College especially in the area of English.

Professor Eberle continues to have tremendous impact and positive influence in the Aquinas Community, most recently during this 125th Anniversary as the Master of the Revels. 

Mr. Eberle is the author of several books, including Dangerous Words: Talking About God in the Age of Fundamentalism (Boston: Shambhala/Trumpter, 2007).  Eberle has twice been selected by the Student Senate as Outstanding faculty member of the year and in 1994 he received an award from the Aquinas College faculty for his outstanding scholarship.  In 1985 he developed the Insignis

Program for Honors Students and directed it for 15 years.  His journalism and fiction have won awards locally and nationally and his novel Angel Strings was named a “best book” by the New York Public Library in 1997.

He was instrumental in initiating the Spectrum Scholarship competition and he spearheaded the idea of transforming Jarecki Center into the College’s first free-standing library.  Professor Eberle has also served for 13 years as the Chairperson of the English department.  
The Eberle Scholarship shall be awarded to a student majoring in traditional humanities (English, History, Philosophy and/or languages).  There should be preference given to those with the greatest financial need.  The Eberle scholarship may continue to be awarded to the student throughout their Aquinas career as long as he/she is a full-time student and maintains a 3.2 GPA or better.

Dennis M. Echelbarger, CPA/CFF and his son, David G. Echelbarger, CPA both graduates of Aquinas College, deeply appreciate their excellent education at Aquinas that launched their successful careers in accounting.  The father – son team recently established the Echelbarger Family Scholarship. Their motivation for this gift emphasized two main philosophies: 1) a commitment to giving back to those institutions that helped them get established and 2) a deep belief that higher education holds the key to solutions that would address many if not most of the issues our community and nation face economically and morally.

Mr. Dennis Echelbarger is the founder and currently the Chairman of the Board of Echelbarger, Himebaugh, Tamm and Company, P.C.  He is also a 1964 graduate of Aquinas and is a newly elected member of the Board of Trustees.  His business success is well known in the community. David G. Echelbarger, CPA was one of

the four out of Mr. Dennis Echelbarger’s five children to attend Aquinas College. David graduated from Aquinas College in 1988 with a B.A. degree in Accounting. He is now the President and the Chief Operating Officer at Echelbarger, Himebaugh, Tamm & Co., P.C.

Dennis and David will be joining with their family to establish this scholarship in hopes of assisting the next generation of finance/business professionals to strengthen the fabric of West Michigan and beyond. 

Dr. and Mrs. Erhan are grateful to the Aquinas College community for the Dominican values like hospitality, inclusiveness and diversity. For this reason they decided to create a scholarship for International Business or Economics students, The Dr. Ali and Mrs. Hulya Erhan Endowed Scholarship.

As an educator devoted to international business, Dr. Erhan is proud of the fact that Aquinas was the first in West Michigan to offer an International Business degree.  His partner in life, Mrs. Hulya Erhan had over twenty years with the Turkish Commerce Department in the Import/Export division before marrying Dr. Erhan and moving to Grand Rapids to raise their growing family.

In addition to his career here at Aquinas, Dr. Erhan has had two of his six children attend Aquinas College and they are proud to call themselves a part of the

Tom graduated from Holy Cross College in Worcester, MA, in 1957 with an AB degree in English and a Science minor. In 1959 he received an MBA from Harvard University. With his wife and four children, he came to Grand Rapids in 1970 to work for Wolverine World Wide, where he served as CEO for 21 years.  He then spent four years as CEO of Premium Wear in Minneapolis, Minn. before its sale in 2000.  Subsequently he chaired a group of regional business owners and/or presidents, helping them to become better leaders through a combination of continuing education and issue resolution in a peer-to-peer setting.  Tom believes that education is the key to self-development and to the development of our country.

Sally graduated from Trinity College in Washington D.C., with a major in English.  After raising four children she worked as an event coordinator at Seyferth &

Associates, a public relations firm.  Serving as a Trustee of Aquinas College for four years, she came to understand and appreciate not only the broad based education offered by Aquinas, but also the emphasis on fostering individual and personal relationships.

Together Tom and Sally believe that Aquinas students are more than just a number; they are nurtured and guided in their academic endeavors and graduate to achieve outstanding success in their communities. This is why they have created the Gleason Family Scholarship that will be awarded to a student with a Science major and a History, English or other Liberal Arts minor.

“We love Aquinas and look forward to making a meaningful difference during the school’s 125th anniversary,” said Elissa Sangalli Hillary ‘05 of her family’s decision to start an endowed scholarship as part of the Family Scholarship Endowment Program. To date, the Hillary’s are the youngest group of alumni to establish an endowed scholarship. They have committed to raising the funds within their extended families within the next five years.

“We really had never considered that we might be able to fund a family scholarship until the program was explained to us,” said Brian Hillary ’97. “With five years to complete it and engaging our extended family, it made it seem manageable.”

The Hillary’s have established specific criteria with their decision and plan on

funding a scholarship for a student with demonstrated leadership and on-going commitment to service, one who is actively practicing his/her Catholic faith and who will maintain a GPA of 3.0 or better during the four or five years they would be eligible.

The Hillary scholarship was established by Mr. Brian P. ‘97 and Mrs. Marcie M. Hillary ‘97, and Mr. Adam J.’05 and Mrs. Elizabeth (Elissa) A. Hillary ’05 during the 125th Anniversary of the College as one of the best ways to give back to the institution they love.  At that time, 2011, they were the youngest group of Alumni to establish an endowed scholarship.  In addition to their own commitment to the College, the Hillary's want to recognize the many members of the Hillary and Witkowski families who have graduated from or been blessed by involvement at Aquinas College.  Brian (older brother of Adam) and Marcie Hillary met at Aquinas and still remain actively involved with reunion and alumni committees.  Both Adam and Elissa were visible student leaders while at Aquinas participating in the Aquinas Ambassador program and Student Senate among other things.

As of December 16, 2011 the following family members and friends have contributed to the fund:  Scott and Kim Harrison, Adam and Elissa Hillary, Brian and Marcie Hillary, Dennis and Gloria Hillary, Ed and Bonnie Hillary, Ed and Tara Hillary Chiu, Frank G. Hillary, Frank and Sarah Hillary, Greg and Rosa Hillary, Keith and Wendy Hillary, Philip and Corrie Hillary, William and Margaret Hillary, Liz Keegan, Ron and Dolores Kit, Bob and Beth Sangalli, Peter and Pat Sangalli, Dan and Cindy Witkowski

In Honor Of: Gerard and Alice Hillary, Margaret Anne Hillary, Mary Hillary

Jack and Rita Kirkwood have created this scholarship in memory of their son Jim.  Jack and Rita met at Aquinas, married and started both a family and their careers.  Jim, like his father, was larger than life at a 6’6” frame.  His game, tennis both while at Aquinas and afterwards.  After successfully graduating from Aquinas, Jim initially moved West to pursue a law degree and then the opportunity to be close to family drew him back to Grand Rapids.  When he returned three significant events happened: he joined the family business, he met and married his true love Annie and his son Alex was born.  A man of few words and at times reserved, Jim loved a good story and especially enjoyed perfecting the family traditions around the holidays.  It wouldn’t be unusual for the phone to ring multiple times on Thanksgiving morning to get the turkey just right.  Jim was a hard worker and learned the business from the ground up starting with the operations of the machinery and then moving into sales.  Jim’s good sense of humor was

legendary which his sisters readily testify to.  Success seemed to be the natural result of Jim’s hard work in business yet it was Jim’s happy marriage and his deep love of his son Alex that gave Jim fulfillment.  Jim, in the prime of life, unexpectedly passed away celebrating one of his beloved holidays with the people he loved most in the world.  They will always miss him yet it brings the family great joy to think that another deserving student will receive the James D. Kirkwood scholarship to honor his memory.

The Kirkwood family scholarship will be awarded to students majoring or minoring in the business or political science with a preference given to those who are involved in the athletic program.  While any athletic program is eligible a preference will be given to those involved in tennis program.  This scholarship will be awarded by the financial aid office.  The scholarship is renewable for five years provided the students remain in good standing with the College and maintains a 2.5 GPA.  If a student falls below the 2.5 level during an individual semester they will have a semester of grace to pull up grades to meet the minimum standard.

The LaPorte Family Scholarship was created in memory of Mr. Rosaire J. Laporte and in honor of Mrs. Catherine R. Laporte by their daughter Anne Marie Laporte Gonczy ’67.  Mr. and Mrs. Laporte were deeply dedicated to their Catholic faith and very active in their church.  They were hard working and made great sacrifices so their three children could participate in Catholic education from grade school through college. 

Mr. Laporte was a civil and structural engineer and Mrs. Laporte is a nurse. Once her children were older, she worked full time to add to their family’s ability to have access to a strong parochial education. 

Anne Marie Laporte Gonczy ’67 graduated from Aquinas College with a double major in math and economics. She was hired by the Federal Reserve Bank of

Chicago at a time when such professional positions more generally were uncommon for women.  Her career in economic research at the Federal Reserve lasted almost 40 years. 

Ms. Laporte Gonczy fondly remembers the impact of her professors at Aquinas. In gratitude she has made this scholarship available during the College’s 125th anniversary, to Economics and Math majors with a preference given to female students. She has also made arrangements in her estate plan to provide scholarships for students.

The O’Brien, Witham, McCargar Music Scholarship honors Ms. Barbara Witham McCargar ’77 and her contribution to music education, especially in the area of voice.  Preference will be given to a music major whose main performance medium is voice. To be eligible, applicants must be full or part-time undergraduate students with a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.7, be declared music majors, and take Music Department voice lessons and Chorus for credit during each semester or year that the scholarship is in effect. 

Ms. McCargar began teaching on the campus of Aquinas College in 1987 and is currently an Associate Professor of Music.  As a soloist, her performing career has spanned over four decades.  Barbara is a sought after cantor, clinician and speaker on vocal technique, leader of workshops for the church cantor, and is the director of the St. Stephen Church Choir in East Grand Rapids. Ms. McCargar

is from a talented musical family and wishes to acknowledge all members of the O’Brien, Witham, and McCargar families who have participated and supported music education and performance for nearly a century. 

The O’Brien, Witham, McCargar Music Scholarship was started by Mrs. Marilyn Drake ’81, an alumnae of the College and Trustee Emeriti, to honor long time music faculty member Ms. Barbara Witham McCargar.  Mrs. Drake has personally admired Ms. McCargar and has witnessed the deep commitment and influence Ms. McCargar has had as the long time Chair of the Music Department.  During this 125th anniversary, Mrs. Drake wanted to support the music department and the leadership of Ms. Barbara Witham McCargar. 

Rachel and Mike met at and both graduated with honors from Cornell University.  They have both embarked on successful careers in business here in West Michigan, and are deeply committed to the importance of quality higher education as a backbone for achievement. They have been driven in their respective careers by values such as integrity and high ethical standards and therefore, when they decided to invest in education in West Michigan, they felt a kindred spirit at Aquinas College. 

Mike and Rachel are also actively involved in many non-profit organizations in West Michigan and beyond, and feel that participation in philanthropy is a way of giving back and supporting a vibrant and diverse community.  When Rachel and Mike are not engaged in business or community activities, they enjoy walking their Great Danes thru Aquinas’ campus or traveling to new parts of the world. 

Dr. Juan and Mrs. Mary Olivarez met, fell in love and married shortly after graduation from Aquinas College.  They have both committed their careers to education and credit Aquinas with changing their lives.   In addition to their devotion to Aquinas, Mr. Alfino Olivarez, Jr., older brother of Juan, graduated in 1970 with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and he too would like to show his appreciation to the college through the Olivarez Family Scholarship.

Dr. Juan Olivarez was selected as the seventh president of Aquinas College and began his term as the College celebrates the 125th anniversary.  The Olivarez's gratitude for the opportunities and education have not been forgotten. The Olivarez Family Scholarship is unrestricted and will be awarded by the financial aid office to a student with the greatest financial need.  The scholarship is renewable for five years provided the student is full time and remains in good

Mrs. Marilyn Drake ’81 an alumnae of the College and Trustee Emeriti has started The Drake Quinn Family Scholarship because of a deep love of Aquinas and wanting to celebrate the 125th Anniversary in a special way.  The scholarship will be awarded to students majoring or minoring in music.  It will be awarded by the financial aid office with preference given to students with the greatest financial need. 

Mrs. Drake has been an ardent music and art philanthropist serving on the Grand Rapids Art Museum Board for seventeen years.  She has personally taken piano from Sr. Catherine Williams for years and has witnessed the deep commitment of all the faculty members. 

Mr. Jack and Mrs. Joan Sawinski have a deep appreciation for what has been accomplished at Aquinas over the decades in educating men and women with a rigorous academic program.  They enjoyed their time at Aquinas during the early 1950’s and hope to open the doors of opportunity to others in serious financial need. They hope to achieve this with the Sawinski Family Scholarship. The scholarship will be awarded by the financial aid office and will be given to a student with the greatest need.

They also want to honor the dedicated Board of Trustees, the administration, the faculty and the staff by creating this scholarship.  Both Jack and Joan strongly believe in the importance of Catholic education.  They were raised by parents who made the needed sacrifices to enroll them in Catholic schools.  They are pleased to contribute toward the perpetuation of Catholic education and

teachings.  Best of all, Jack and Joan met at Aquinas College and have had a long and happy marriage along with the rich experience of being parents and grandparents. 

Jack Sawinski had a successful career as an executive at Con Edison in New Jersey.  He was honored in October 2011 for his distinguished volunteer work in senior housing with Oak Woods, Inc. at which he received a State of New Jersey proclamation “commending his meritorious record of service, leadership, and commitment.”  Jack is quick to acknowledge that his accomplishments “could not have been done without Joan’s wonderful support.”

David Steil graduated from Aquinas College with a degree in Business Administration in 1979. During his time at Aquinas he was a part of the Men’s Track Team. Tamara graduated from Aquinas College with a Master's in Management degree in 1985. Tamara and David met in 1990 and married a year later. David enjoys a successful career in business. Tamara's career was in education from which she retired in 2010 after 33 years of teaching, mostly high school mathematics and some physical education.

Their daughter Rachael graduated from Grandville High School in 2010 and is currently attending Aquinas College, carrying on family tradition.  She has distinguished herself academically by earning her place on the Dean's List in her English, Writing, and Communications studies.  Athletically, she has a strong position on both the Cross Country and Track teams where she has already

earned All-American status and set school records in both disciplines. Tamara and David's have another child, Angela, who graduated from Grandville High School in 2011 and is currently in New York pursuing her career in fashion, entertainment, and business.

David Steil's father, Albert Steil, graduated from AQ in 1958 with a BA in History and English and again in 1966 with a Master’s degree in History. David is the nephew of the late Honorable Glenn D. Steil, Sr., also an Aquinas College graduate, who was serving on the Board of Trustees of Aquinas when he passed away in 2010.

The Steil family has a long and strong history with the College and they felt it fitting to establish this family scholarship during the 125th Anniversary. The David and Tamara Steil Family Scholarship is unrestricted and will be awarded by the financial aid office to a student with the greatest need.  The scholarship is renewable for five years provided the student is full time and remains in good standing with the College. Once the Fund has reached the level of $30,000 the family reserves the right to further direct the scholarship by establishing more specific criteria.

The Sister Catherine Williams O.P. Music Scholarship was established to honor Sister Catherine Williams, OP ’62 and her contribution to music education and liturgical music. Sister Catherine Williams is a Grand Rapids Dominican Sister and an Alumna of Aquinas College. She has spent her life enriching other people’s lives with music. As a teacher of elementary, high school and college students, she worked and continues to work at empowering all to do their best, striving for high standards of musical learning and performance.

Sister Catherine Williams began her tenure at Aquinas as Associate Director of Campus Ministry in charge of the liturgical life of the campus and after 9 years moved across campus, joining the music department as Associate Professor of Music. She also continues her Church ministry as Director of the Adult Choir at St. Sebastian Parish in Byron Center.  Piano is her first love but believes every

instrument is worth pursuing and she has enjoyed playing many.

This scholarship was started by Mrs. Marilyn Drake, a 1981 graduate of Aquinas College and Trustee Emeriti. Mrs. Drake has been an ardent music and art philanthropist serving on the Grand Rapids Art Museum Board for decades.  She has personally taken piano from Sr. Catherine for years and has witnessed the deep commitment and influence Sr. Catherine has had on her students.  During this 125th anniversary, Mrs. Drake wanted to support the music department and the quiet inspiration Sister Catherine has been. 

Mr. C. Arthur Woodhouse, financier, and Catholic lay leader, earned the title “Mr. Aquinas” through his many faceted services to the College.  Mr. C. Arthur Woodhouse also served as the first lay member on the Aquinas College Board of Trustees and later received an honorary doctorate of Laws from Aquinas.  He died in 1981 and yet his service to the College was so distinctive that in 2004 he was selected for the Aquinas Hall of Fame.

The strong connection forged through Mr. Woodhouse was continued into the next generation by his son Mr. Robert C. Woodhouse Sr. and his wife Mary Ann Woodhouse. The senior Woodhouse served ten years on the Aquinas Board of Trustees. He and Mary Ann sent three of their six children to Aquinas. The third generation includes the benefactors who are now creating this wonderful Woodhouse Family Scholarship and they are: Christine Frans, Anne Woodhouse,

John J. Woodhouse, Thomas M. Woodhouse, Charles A. Woodhouse, Raymond H. Woodhouse and Robert C. Woodhouse Jr. and then the fourth generation which includes: Jill and Colleen Woodhouse, Matt and Andrew Woodhouse, Allison Woodhouse, Robert, Christopher and Elizabeth Frans and Justine, Margaret and Peter Debelius. 

The Woodhouse Family Scholarship will be awarded to a student from St. John’s Home. If a student or students from St. John’s Home have not applied then the student must be from Michigan, a foster child or the first in the family to attend college. The student must be full time and maintain a 3.0 GPA. The scholarship may be renewed for a total of five years in undergraduate and may be extended for two more years as a graduate student.  A preference will be given to the student who is pursuing a degree in the sciences, business or education. This scholarship is one more important symbol of the deep commitment the Woodhouse family has to Aquinas College during this important 125th Anniversary celebration.