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New opportunities, increased access

Governor Scott Walker visits Gateway’s SC Johnson integrated Manufacturing and Engineering Technology Center
L-R: UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford; UW-Parkside mascot
Ranger Bear; Carthage College mascot Torchie; Carthage College
President Gregory Woodward; Gateway Technical College mascot
Rudy; Gateway Technical College President and CEO Bryan Albrecht.
The college leaders, along with Timothy T. Mahone of the Mary Lou
and Arthur F. Mahone Fund, celebrated improved access and
affordability today for students in Kenosha County through two
newly created endowed scholarships at Gateway and
UW-Parkside and a full-tuition scholarship at Carthage.

The Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund joined forces today with Gateway Technical College, the University of Wisconsin-Parkside and Carthage College to provide and celebrate improved access and affordability for students in Kenosha County.

The Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund will pay for two newly created endowed scholarships through UW-Parkside and Gateway to benefit area students of color in their pursuit of higher education. Carthage College also partnered with the fund to provide a full-tuition scholarship to an incoming 2014 freshman from Kenosha.

“The simple fact is there are ever-increasing barriers facing young people in reaching a better life through education, especially for minority students,” said Timothy T. Mahone, representing the Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund. “I am proud of our educational partners’ ongoing commitment to sustain our community’s great legacy of securing education for all students.”

Representatives from all three colleges were on hand at the celebration today. Gateway President and CEO Bryan Albrecht, UW-Parkside Chancellor Debbie Ford and Carthage President Gregory Woodward all spoke at the event, along with Mahone.

 “What we started at Gateway's Martin Luther King Jr. Education Summit in January comes to fruition today as all three local institutions of higher learning join with community-based organization – the Arthur and Mary Lou Mahone Fund – to ensure greater opportunities for area youth to obtain a college degree,” said Albrecht.

“We have identified several ways we can work together to support student success and increase access to higher education. This is the first of those joint efforts.”

The endowed scholarships will support Gateway and UW-Parkside as they continue “Forward Together” by offering seven sweeping 2-plus-2 business-related program articulation agreements. The scholarships will benefit a Gateway student in one of the seven programs who has committed to transferring to UW-Parkside as part of the agreement. They will benefit through a scholarship while still at Gateway, then at UW-Parkside when they transfer to the four-year university.

“Access to affordable education has always been embraced by members of our community,” said Ford. “Whether it was community support for Gateway Technical College more than a century ago, welcoming Carthage to southeastern Wisconsin in 1962, or getting behind an idea in 1968 that a public, four-year university degree should be available to our residents, this latest collaboration is a testament to that ongoing commitment.”

The Carthage scholarship is one of five the college has implemented this year to promote diversity on campus. Carthage has a long-standing relationship with the Mahone Foundation through the Reaching for Rainbows Pursuit of Excellence gala.

“The Carthage College Mahone Fund CEO Scholarship combines our support of the Kenosha community with our commitment to create diversity in education by furthering awareness, access and engagement,” said Carthage College president Dr. Gregory Woodward.

“For many years, Carthage has dedicated its expertise and resources to the advancement of the Mahone Fund’s efforts to fully embrace the academic pursuits of our young students while creating a pathway for them to be successful,” said Mahone. “Dr. Woodward's commitment to expand our partnership to ensure diversity at Carthage is exemplary.”

In an effort to increase access to higher education and student success in their future careers, the three institutions are strengthening the relationships to provide needed access for students in Kenosha County. The catalyst for the effort was an education summit hosted during Gateway’s Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. celebration. At that summit, educational leaders discussed the status of Southeastern Wisconsin educational programs and opportunities focused on minority student success.

Albrecht, Ford, Woodward and Shebaniah Muhammad from the Mahone Fund – among other educational leaders – participated in the summit and strongly encouraged expanding access to students of color. They noted if the three institutions of higher education joined forces, they would create an even more dynamic opportunity for students to achieve their dreams through access to education.

About Gateway Technical College: Gateway Technical College collaborates with communities in Kenosha, Racine and Walworth counties to ensure economic growth and viability by providing education, training, leadership and technological resources to meet the changing needs of students, employers and communities.

About University of Wisconsin-Parkside: The University of Wisconsin-Parkside is one of 13 four-year campuses in the University of Wisconsin System. Founded in 1968 to better serve the needs of a growing population in southeastern Wisconsin and northeastern Illinois, UW-Parkside offers undergraduate and graduate degree programs and serves as an academic and cultural resource. The campus is located at 900 Wood Road in Somers.

About Carthage College: Carthage College combines an environment of reflection and self-discovery with a culture of high expectation so our students uncover and ignite their true potential. A four-year, private liberal arts college with roots in the Lutheran tradition, the campus has a prime location in Kenosha. The campus, an 80-acre arboretum on the shore of Lake Michigan, is home to 150 scholars, 2,500 full-time students, and 900 part-time students.

About Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone F. Fund: The Mary Lou and Arthur F. Mahone Fund was created in 1998 to honor and perpetuate Mary Lou and Arthur’s (their) legacy of service and commitment to the Kenosha community. The mission of the Mahone Fund is to promote educational and career opportunities for students in need and to support healthy lifestyle initiatives which reduce overall healthcare disparities among the Black population and the community at large.