Honoring Mom and Grandma

The feeling was overwhelming. It happened when Becky Kresowik returned to her Iowa City home after attending the Women and Philanthropy event at Iowa State University.

“I was very inspired by those meetings, hearing the stories of what women could do,” the 1987 Bachelor of Liberal Studies graduate said. “I distinctly remember one time. I was at home and I was so inspired I wanted to focus my philanthropy on what was important to me.”

But Becky didn’t think she could create a gift for her alma mater.

“I couldn’t commit the $25,000 necessary to set up an endowed scholarship,” she said. “But after several discussions with the ISU Foundation, I was able to find the right approach for me.”

Instead of an endowed scholarship, Becky decided to create an expendable scholarship, committing funds over the next five years. The $2,000 scholarship can be renewed up to four years by the recipient.

It’s not only something she didn’t know she could do, but she’s found out many others don’t know as well.

“When I tell people about the scholarship, everyone is surprised at how easy it is to create one,” Becky said.

The ease in which the scholarship was established isn’t the only reason Becky is excited to support a student at Iowa State. The Lucille Drey Scholarship was established in her mother’s memory and has a special place in Becky’s heart.

“She always wanted to go to college, but it wasn’t until she was in her late 50s that she was actually able to attend,” she said.

Lucille not only attended college, but graduated, first from Mesa Community College, and then from Arizona State University with a degree in social work at the age of 63.

“Education was always so important to my mother,” Becky said. “We wanted to do something to honor her memory.”

The “we” are Becky and her two daughters, Melissa Borell and Emily Hermann. Like their mother, Melissa and Emily are also Iowa Staters. Melissa recently received her master’s degree in English, while Emily is a senior art and design student.

Becky originally started at Iowa State in the mid-1970s but transferred after two years to work on an L.P.N. degree. She then attended night school and took other classes before completing her bachelor’s degree in 1987.

Because of that experience, and her mother’s entry into higher education later in life, Becky and her daughters decided to create a scholarship at Iowa State that not only honored Lucille, but also recognized her achievements as a nontraditional student. The three sat down and discussed the criteria they wanted the recipient of the scholarship to have. In the end, they decided they wanted to assist a nontraditional student with a preference given to those raising children while earning their degree.

“We wanted to recognize someone who had a hardship going to school like my mom and I did,” Becky said.

And if the first recipient of the scholarship is any indication, then Becky and her daughters selected the right criteria.

“When I received a letter from our first recipient, I was extremely emotional,” Becky said. “I was humbled by the letter and what we had done to honor my mom.

“It was the right thing to do and the best thing I had done all year.”