Callaway Public School is dedicated to providing the best quality education possible for its students. The district is proud to boast that the percentage of CHS graduates who go on to some type of post-secondary training, whether college or vocational, is one of the highest in the state.

Helping graduates attain that post-secondary education is the primary goal of the Callaway Educational Foundation. Established in the Spring of 1988, the Foundation serves as a means to receive gifts and donations to improve and promote quality education through the disbursement of scholarships.

Mike Pandorf has served on the Foundation board since its founding and is the current president. The first group of board members of the Foundation included Ken Pitkin, Donna Glendy, Ole Chesley, Jerry Meyer, Brian Gardner, Jim Grove, and Pandorf.

“Jerry Meyer was the spark plug that got it going; it was his idea,” Pandorf explained. “He asked a few of us to get on board with him.”

The Foundation board members oversee the principal of gifts given for scholarships with the interest being used to fund scholarships for the graduating classes and alumni of Callaway Public School. Joining Pandorf on the current board are Erin Boldt-Reiff, Brett Eggleston - Treasurer, Randy Meyer - Vice President, Sue Phelps - Secretary, Amy Birkel, Nicole Rush, Lynn Longmore, and Brenda Still. The board meets annually to review investments and decide on scholarship award amounts for the non-profit 501(c)3 organization.

Cont. PAGE 7: Foundation “We take in mostly memorial monies or somebody’s estate if they have designated an amount to go to the education foundation. We have had some really sizeable donations and some of them have a specific gear they would like to see it go to,” Pandorf explained.

The investment scholarships overseen by the Foundation include: Hazel M. Empfield Memorial Scholarship Redfern-Wilson Memorial Scholarship Wayne Thurman Memorial Scholarship Larry Nelson Memorial Scholarship Ron and Em Jorgenson Scholarship Partners in Success Scholarship The foundation is also the administrator of these scholarships: Tony and Bev Pitkin Scholarship Ted and Sadie Griffith Scholarship Excelsior Scholarship “The Ron and Em Jorgenson Scholarship is newly created and will be awarded for the first time this year. Ron was a long-time businessman in the community and was also instrumental in the building of the Callaway Good Samaritan Care Center (now the Callaway Good Life Center),” said Sue Phelps, Secretary of the Board. “He served on the board for many, many years. For this reason, this scholarship will be awarded to a student who would like to pursue nursing or a career in the health professions.”

“Mainly what we do is keep the money that is donated and spend the interest on the students,” Pandorf added. “The students have to apply for these scholarships and we have a committee that goes over the applications and determines the recipients and amounts.”

Last year the Foundation awarded eight scholarships for a total of $14,000 to CHS students. The Foundation currently has assets of about $880,000.

Phelps joined the board just a few years after its formation and has served since. She explained that the makeup of the board always included a teacher, and she was the teacher representative. “After I retired from teaching, I guess I just stayed on,” she laughed. “It’s just nice to be part of something that gives back and shows faith on our future. We have followed some of them a long way. Some of our scholarships are renewable.” Phelps explained that one of the unique scholarship established by the board is the Empfield Scholarship, which divides the funds among all of the applicants who meet the criteria. Partners in Success is also a unique scholarship that is offered to high school students who want to attend an educational workshop or training during the school year or summer. That particular scholarship can also extend into college.

“I think if we really looked around we would be amazed that we have this in our small community. It’s really a little treasure,” said Phelps. “We’re kind of counting on this next generation too. We’re hoping that they will remember that they got a scholarship and someday, when they have the funds, they will have a chance to pay it forward.

“Another nice thing about the scholarships is that we work really hard to make sure not just one or two people get everything,” Phelps continued. “We don’t give out the big $20,000 scholarships but we hope the ones who receive them will remember that the community showed faith in them.”

Pandorf added that some of the donors request that their funds go to those students who demonstrate the greatest need. Others might designate a certain area, such as ag or healthcare, for their funds.

“Some years we may not have a student going into one of those fields, so we just carry those funds over to the next year,” said Pandorf.

For more information about the Callaway Educational Foundation or to make a donation contact any board member, or mail the Callaway Educational Foundation, Inc. c/o Callaway Public Schools.