Judy Kennedy and Colleen Cremer
Since 2006, Assistance League of Montgomery County has awarded over a million dollars in scholarships to hundreds of residents in Montgomery County, Texas, and on April 12, an event was held at the Thrift Shop to celebrate this chapter milestone.
The story of Assistance League’s Scholarship Program began in 2006 with a donation from the estate of James D. Nunan, a wealthy oil and gas businessman who wanted to give something back to the citizens of Montgomery County. President Judy Kennedy organized a committee, and on November 27, 2006, the Assistance League Scholarship in Memory of James D. Nunan was created, awarding $4,000.00 to a student who planned to major in the social sciences; four scholarships were awarded that first year.
Scholarship Committee
Since those first scholarships were awarded, the program continued to expand; today, five different types of scholarships are offered: The High School Senior Scholarship for graduating seniors who want to pursue studies in any field at a Texas public college or university; The Continuation Scholarship for High School Senior Scholarship recipients who continue to have financial need as they move through college; the Scholarship for Adults awarded to adults who are returning to school to complete a degree; Workforce Scholarships awarded to students desiring a certificate in a specific field; and Special Needs Scholarships awarded to those who would benefit from therapeutic programs designed to improve their well-being and functional skills.
In 15 years, the Scholarship Committee has awarded 274 High School and Continuation Scholarships; 155 Workforce Scholarships; and 141 Scholarships for Adults for a total of 570 individual scholarships as well as countless Special Needs Scholarships for a total of $1,104,332 dollars that made educational dreams come true.
Scholarship recipient, Lily Bivens, now a graduate student at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, told her story at the celebration, highlighting the struggles she endured as a high school student and how the Assistance League scholarship changed her life. She said, “Thank you not just for the financial gifts given to me and hundreds of other students, but I also wanted to say thank you for believing in me. You awarded 18-year-old Lily the best gift that I have ever received: a financial gift that showed me I was valued. You supported me when I lacked support from my own family. The ALMC invested in my future because they believed in my abilities to make this world a better place. On behalf of all the students that you have invested in, thank you.
Today we celebrate the success and generosity of this organization. How incredible it is that they have been able to donate one million dollars in scholarships. That is truly amazing!”
