St. Ambrose University today announced a $1.38 million dollar estate gift, the largest single scholarship gift in University history. The program annually will assist four admitted first-year or transfer students from Iowa in funding their St. Ambrose careers.
The Dale and LaVonne "Bonnie" McFarlin Scholars Program annually will award chosen recipients $4,000. The award will renew annually through a student's graduation with a St. Ambrose undergraduate degree or for up to fours years, making each scholarship award worth a possible $16,000.
Dale and Bonnie McFarlin developed an appreciation for St. Ambrose University after selling their farm in western Iowa and moving to Davenport in the early 1970s. They purchased six-plex near Vander Veer Park and interacted often with St. Ambrose students, faculty, and staff while walking on campus and in the neighborhood.
The McFarlins did not have children and, prior to Dale's death in 1997, they began considering options for their estate. They quickly identified creating opportunities for students of all backgrounds to earn a college education as the best means to a lasting impact.
"Bonnie often mentioned that she and Dale's affinity for St. Ambrose and its strong sense of community helped identify this university as the place where they could best create a meaningful legacy," said Associate Vice President for Advancement and Legacy Giving Sally Crino '01 MBA, who developed a bond with Bonnie McFarlin over the past two decades.
"Bonnie especially was supportive of St. Ambrose's foundational liberal arts curriculum and the university's devotion to helping students enrich lives through a commitment to service and social justice," Crino added.
Prior to Dale's death, the McFarlins gifted farm property in western Iowa to St. Ambrose in exchange for a charitable gift annuity, providing them a tax deduction and a lifetime stream of annual income. Bonnie moved to Georgetown, Texas, following Dale's death. She created another gift annuity by gifting their six-plex to SAU. Bonnie went on to establish six more charitable gift annuities beginning in 2013.
Sister Joan Lescinksi, CSJ, PhD, president of St. Ambrose, came to know Bonnie well. They bonded over a shared love of education, travel and exploration.
"Although Bonnie never attended St. Ambrose, she was Ambrosian in nearly every other sense of the word," Lescinski said. "She was a gentle soul, a faithful friend and a true and intrepid adventurer. We are honored by the McFarlins' understanding of the true value of a St. Ambrose education. We are pleased to provide this opportunity to future St. Ambrose students on their behalf."
Bonnie McFarlin passed away in her sleep in October 2018. She was 92 years old. In the months that followed, her estate was settled, and the total bequest to St. Ambrose was $1,382,866.
Dale and Lavonne 'Bonnie' McFarlin Scholarships are available only to students from Iowa, although transfer students from colleges outside the state are eligible if they attended high school in Iowa. The awards process will give preference to applicants who attended high school in Davenport or rural Iowa, as well as to students who have displayed leadership in the community, their school and in service to others.
Iowa students who carry a 3.0 GPA, an ACT score of 20 or an SAT score of 1040 are eligible to apply after they are fully admitted to St. Ambrose. Additional factors that will be weighed in the selection process include financial need and the quality of an interview with a St. Ambrose college dean or Provost Paul Koch, PhD.
Koch, College of Health and Human Services Dean Sandra Cassady, PT, PhD, College of Business Dean Maritza Espina, PhD, and College of Arts and Sciences Dean Paul McNutt, PhD, each will serve as a mentor to one scholarship recipient each year. The mentoring experience ensures that McFarlin Scholars will leave St. Ambrose prepared to honor the McFarlin's legacy.
"These students won't have to come to us as academic superstars,' noted James Loftus, PhD, St. Ambrose vice president for enrollment management. "But if they bring an eagerness to grow and succeed, we are confident the program we are creating will honor the McFarlins' wishes in very impactful ways."
Applications for students fully admitted starting in fall 2020 now are being accepted. The application deadline is Feb. 15, 2020.
For additional information, please visit the McFarlin Scholars website.
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