Scholarships helped pay for his education at Wichita State, and now Sam Belsan is using that education to shape the futures of the children he teaches. “I love it that every person who’s invested in me is seeing their investment continue through my students,” says Belsan, a 2019 graduate.
Related: Donor Stories
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE August 31, 2020
Gene and Yolanda Camarena are well known for helping underserved Kansas youth improve their lives through education and other causes. Now the Wichita couple is enhancing that legacy with a $1 million gift to Wichita State University to give students of color opportunities they otherwise might not have.
A little more than half of the Camarenas’ gift pledge, $520,000, will provide high-impact scholarships to 20 Hispanic and Black students each year for the next four years. Wichita State will match that investment in full as part of its mission to provide affordable and accessible educational opportunities to underserved students.
The gift was unveiled at a news conference today (Aug. 31) on the WSU campus.
The Camarenas chose the name Shocker Adelante Scholars to describe recipients of their scholarship program. Adelante means “to move forward” or “to get ahead” in Spanish. In addition to scholarships, the couple’s gift will:
- Provide mentoring and tutoring services to help scholarship recipients succeed.
- Support recipients who have an entrepreneurial interest by underwriting their participation in Wichita State’s new Microenterprises Program.
- Create a Visiting Professor program to augment the university’s efforts to recruit a more diverse faculty.
- Hire a full-time diversity recruiter in the Admissions Department to boost enrollment of students of color.
Based on their own experiences as college students from diverse backgrounds, the Camarenas said they recognize the financial and cultural barriers students of color can encounter.
“We also understand the lifelong positive impact a college education can have on each student as well as their extended families,” said Yolanda Camarena, a Wichita State graduate. “Our goal is to provide students of color a level pathway to a college degree and the ability to participate equally in all the opportunities our country has to offer.”
She added: “We firmly believe that a more diverse and inclusive environment at Wichita State will be beneficial to all students as they learn, live and work together on a campus that mirrors the workplaces
and communities that they will become a part of. Our hope is that their college experience will be one of both learning and understanding. Learning those skills needed to continue their chosen field of work and understanding that the diversity of cultures, ethnicity, language and experiences will be of great benefit as they become an integral part of a country that grows more diverse every day.”
The Camarenas met with Wichita State President Jay Golden, Provost Rick Muma and WSU Foundation President Elizabeth King to discuss the university’s goals to strengthen diversity and inclusion.
“I appreciate the strong endorsement of Gene and Yolanda Camarena of our vision to make the college experience more affordable and inclusive for all students,” Golden said. “Their generous gift in money, time and ideas exemplifies the strong partnership our university continues to have with our diverse community and our state.”
King remarked: “In addition to their extraordinary financial gift, Gene and Yolanda Camarena are eager to share their wisdom and experience as we prepare these deserving students for rewarding careers and service to our community. Wichita State is truly grateful for their vision and collaboration.”
Yolanda Camarena is a graduate of Wichita State and completed a Master’s in Public Policy and Education at the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. Gene Camarena is a graduate of the University of Kansas and completed a Master’s in Business Administration at the Harvard University School of Business.
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Media note: Photos may be found below
Contact: Lori Linenberger, WSU Foundation Director of Communications,
316-978-6812 or lori.linenberger@wichita.edu
===================================================================================================================== Wichita State University Foundation | 1845 Fairmount Street | Wichita, Kansas 67260-0002 | tele: 316-978-3040 wichita.edu/foundation | facebook.com/wsufoundation | twitter.com/wsufoundation
John and Colleen Wooley’s $2.2 million estate gift is dedicated to WSU students
To John and Colleen Wooley, the school we know as Wichita State University was always the University of Wichita in their hearts. Both graduated in the 1950s, before WSU entered the Kansas Regents system in 1964.
The university was where they met and started a romance that never ended, even after 55 years of marriage. When John died in 2019, six years after his wife, his obituary called Colleen “the love of John’s life.”
Before his death, Mr. Wooley made a momentuous decision. He chose to acknowledge the impact the “University of Wichita” had on his life and Colleen’s by pledging a gift from their estate to benefit WSU. The $2.2 million gift will fund the Colleen Lee Wooley and John B. Wooley Scholarship, providing about $100,000 a year in scholarships for WSU students with financial need. The endowed fund will exist in perpetuity.
“It was important to John that their gift make an impact on the lives of students with financial need in all academic areas of study,” said Darin Kater, WSU Foundation vice president. “He didn’t care about their majors. He just wanted to make sure students with need had the opportunity to get a high quality education at WSU.”
Mrs. Wooley earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism in 1952 and worked for several years in public relations for the American Red Cross. She also worked for the state of Kansas and the WSU School of Music before returning to the Red Cross to end her career, serving a total of
30 years with the organization.
After serving in the U.S. Navy for three years, Mr. Wooley earned a bachelor’s degree in history in 1954, then a law degree from Washburn University. He had a long career in the legal profession, working in several private firms, the office of the County Attorney and, eventually, as a Federal Magistrate Judge, from which he retired after 24 years.
Their affection for the “University of Wichita” and their dedication to the power of education mean that, for generations to come, WSU students who otherwise might not be able to afford college will receive meaningful scholarships to achieve their educational dreams.
If you would like to learn more about making a gift from your estate, contact Mike Lamb, WSU Foundation vice president, at 316.978.3804 or
mike.lamb@wichita.edu.
Lifelong connection with WSU leads Vic Heckart to make an estate gift
Vic Heckart knows a lot of Wichita State alumni. Those who support their alma mater financially and in other ways, he says, tend to do so because they want the university and its young graduates to prosper.
“It’s all about helping young people,” says Heckart, a 1962 graduate in aerospace engineering. “Isn’t that a measure of a successful society – how we help our young people?”
Heckart and his wife, Ruth, are doing just that. Longtime supporters of Wichita State, they recently pledged a gift valued at $90,000 from their estate to advance three areas: the College of Engineering, the School of Music and the Center for Combating Human Trafficking.
Heckart chose to attend WSU because of its strong aerospace engineering program and never regretted that decision. Not only did his degree lead to a 40-year career in engineering – the last 30 with Honeywell Engines in Phoenix – but he also made great memories and friends through his fraternity, Delta Upsilon.
Heckart describes himself as a “gung-ho Shocker” who serves as the newsletter editor and secretary for the local DU Alumni Board and has season tickets to men’s basketball, something he has been able to enjoy since he and Ruth moved back to Wichita in 2005. He also writes a blog about Shocker sports and shares it with his friends and other alumni.
Even when he lived in Phoenix and, before that, St. Louis, he found ways to stay connected with Wichita State. He organized alumni gatherings in both cities, including a reception for former WSU President Don Beggs and his wife, Shirley, and many basketball watch parties.
“There was one close game when Fox Sports Midwest went to a KU game in the last few seconds of the WSU game, so I called (then Athletic Director) Jim Schaus on his cell phone. He told me that WSU won so I was able to share the good news!”
Heckart has lots of stories about his time at Wichita State and the years after graduation. What they represent is a special affection for and relationship with his alma mater. Now enjoying retirement, he wants to share some of his good fortune with the university that helped prepare him for a career.
A third of the estate gift he and Ruth pledged will provide unrestricted support to the College of Engineering. A third will support the Center for Combating Human Trafficking, an organization he admires for the dedication of its director, Karen Countryman-Roswurm. And a third will go to the School of Music in the College of Fine Arts.
“I had an extensive background in music from second grade through high school and college,” Heckart says. “I took piano lessons for six years and was in national competitions. I took up the trumpet in the ninth grade and was in the North High Pep Band. And I sang in my church choir all through high school and college.”
Today, when they’re not involved in WSU activities, he and Ruth enjoy traveling and spending time with their children and grandchildren.
If you would like to learn more about pledging a gift from your estate, contact Mike Lamb, WSU Foundation vice president, at 316-978-3804 or mike.lamb@wichita.edu.
Donations to emergency fund for WSU students exceed $100,000
With a swiftly launched campaign called Shockers UP, the WSU Foundation and its donors have raised more than $100,000 so far to help Wichita State students facing financial difficulties related to the pandemic.
The campaign began in mid March, within days of the WSU Foundation hearing reports of students unable to pay for basic necessities such as food and rent. Many students lost their jobs because of the stay-at-home orders and others had unexpected expenses related to the transition to online learning.
So far, about 160 students have received grants of $500 each from the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students. A total of 370 applications had been received as of April 30, with more anticipated in the coming weeks. The Office of Financial Aid, which is analyzing applications and distributing the money, hopes to award $500 grants to students in need.
“We’re so grateful to alumni and friends who have stepped up to help our students,” said Elizabeth King, WSU Foundation president and CEO. “The funds raised are nearly exhausted, so we encourage more donations to address what clearly is an urgent situation for students wondering how they will be able to remain in school.”
Like most colleges and universities, Wichita State will receive about $4.4 million in federal stabilization aid for students under the CARES Act, but it is uncertain what conditions will be applied, especially for international and DACA students who may not be eligible.
Felipe Lima de Oliveira, an engineering major from Brazil, is one of those students. After losing his job, he applied for help, noting that as an international student he is not eligible for unemployment benefits. He used his $500 grant to make his final tuition payment for the spring semester.
Jenna Barber, a physical education major, used her grant to buy groceries and sock away $100 for a summer class. Her husband received a medical discharge from the Air Force and is unemployed.
Gladys Heitzman, who lost her job and has been unable to find another, had this to say after receiving her check: “I’m so proud of WSU and extremely grateful for the aid during this time. It’s incredible what WSU is doing for their students and it’s comforting to know that I go to a university that cares about their students.”
Donations to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students are a meaningful way for Shockers to show that we are stronger together.
“We are working a little differently in this tumultuous time, but what hasn’t changed is our commitment to our students and our university,” King said. “It’s been gratifying to have such a vivid reminder of how essential our work is.”
To donate to the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students, go to foundation.wichita.edu/shockersup.
Things look a little different at the WSU Foundation right now. Most of our staff is working from home. Many of our events have been canceled or postponed. Like you, we’re paying attention to daily developments in our nation’s response to the coronavirus outbreak.
But our mission is the same as it’s always been, and we’re working to fulfill it every day. First and foremost, our focus is on Wichita State University students who face education-related and personal challenges.
“Not only are thousands of students transitioning to online classes, but many are coping with financial concerns and all of the stresses related to coronavirus,” said Elizabeth King, WSU Foundation president and CEO. “We are taking steps to help those who need it.”
The Foundation has created the COVID-19 Emergency Fund for Students to help them overcome financial hardships and remain focused on their education. The emergency fund is intended to help students primarily in two ways. The first is to help them pay for basic necessities such as food and rent. Many students who had jobs on campus or in the community have lost them because of the shelter-in-place order. The second is to help them transition to online learning by providing technology such as laptops or mobile hotspots.
So far, more than $31,000 has been raised for the fund, but university officials anticipate the need will be substantially greater.
Students can rest assured that the donor-funded scholarships they receive won’t be affected by changes related to the pandemic. Awards for the spring semester have already been made and fall-semester scholarships are in the process of being awarded.
The WSU Foundation also has launched a new appeal called Shockers Up, inspired by the rallying cry that rings throughout Charles Koch Arena on game days.
“We believe ‘Shockers Up’ is an appropriate message for our community as we respond to the needs of our students,” King said. “It’s also an invitation to Shocker Nation to stay connected and support one another in a very challenging time.”
King noted that the WSU Foundation’s investments and endowments are managed for long-term performance success, helping to ensure their future stability.
“One of the reasons Wichita State is so strong today is because our alumni and friends have invested in their university,” King said. “That support and trust will sustain us as we respond to the challenges ahead and do the work that helps ensure a bright future.”