Beggses establish scholarship for children of Physical Plant workers
By Lynette Murphy
 Tiffany Gomez, center, is the first recipient of a scholarship established by Shirley and WSU President Don Beggs for the children of Physical Plant employees. Her mom Cheryl, left, is an academic supply buyer in the University Bookstore. Her dad Ed, right, is supervisor of facilities maintenance for special projects in the Physical Plant. |
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To qualify for the Shirley and Don Beggs Scholarship for Children of Physical Plant Employees, students must: • be children of Physical Plant employees. • be working toward an undergraduate degree at WSU either part or full time. • submit an application to the director of facility maintenance, box 23, by April 1 of each year. Applications are available from Woody DePontier, director of facility maintenance. The Physical Plant director, director of facility maintenance and Shirley Beggs will select the recipients. |
They buff the floors during the wee hours of the night. They plant thousands of tulip bulbs each spring, dressing the campus in a colorful display for visitors and the WSU family. They keep the campus dwellers comfortable with heat, lights and plumbing.
They – the 240 employees of the Physical Plant – are crucial to the everyday operations of WSU, even though their efforts are sometimes overlooked.
That’s why Shirley and Don Beggs, WSU first lady and president, recently created an endowed fund to provide scholarships for children of these essential staff members.
"Some of my best friends on campus are people who work in the Physical Plant," says Shirley Beggs. "All the years we’ve been on college campuses, we’ve realized just how important these members of the university family are. We felt a special need to say ‘thank you’ to them and hope that we inspire others to do the same."
Even though they started the fund with $10,000, the Beggses already have added to it and intend to continue doing so. In fact, they initially contributed an extra $500 so that it could begin to be awarded in fall 2000.
Tiffany Gomez, a junior elementary education and early childhood major, is the first recipient of the $500 annual award. Receiving the scholarship allowed her to recently quit her second job, but she still works 20 hours a week through WSU’s cooperative education internship program in addition to attending classes full time.
"I was honored to receive this scholarship. It helps a great deal," says Gomez. She hopes that others are inspired by the Beggses’ generosity to assist staff whose children attend WSU. "I hope it’s a start to something that can grow from there."
Her dad, Ed, is supervisor of facilities maintenance for special projects in the Physical Plant. Her mom, Cheryl, also works at WSU, as an academic supply buyer in the University Bookstore.
Ed Gomez says the scholarship is very positive for staff like him. "So many years, you hope something like this will happen, and it’s most excellent when it does."
