Fred Ponschok Family Vocational Education Scholarship (within the Shawano Area Community Foundation)

Background:

This scholarship was established in loving memory of Fred E. Ponschok by his family to honor his many contributions to the Shawano Community. Fred served 38 years in the Shawano Gresham School District as a teacher and administrator and was instrumental in developing the vocational education program to create career opportunities for students. Fred was very active in the Shawano community, serving as city alderman for 15 years. He also served as president of Junior Achievement as well as the Shawano Area Veterans, Inc. He was chair of Protect our Wolf River, commander of American Legion Post 117 and a member of the Sacred Heart School Board. Fred was a Korean War veteran in the US Army. He was honored to receive many awards, including Shawano Chamber of Commerce Distinguished Citizen of the Year 2003, Shawano Area Community Foundation Volunteer of the Year 2004, United Way Distinguished Service Award 1989-1991 and Junior Achievement, Inc. Bronze Leadership Award 1990.

Eligibility: (taken into consideration to determine recipients)

• Graduating seniors from Shawano Community High School • Pursuing a degree at an accredited technical college as a part-time (minimum 6 credits) or full-time (minimum 12 credits) student • Minimum cumulative 2.5 GPA • Participation in at least two Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses at Shawano Community High School • Financial need will be considered

Award Amount:

One $750 non-renewable scholarship award for cost of attendance.

Selection:

Recipients will be recommended each spring by a committee comprised of the Guidance Counselor and Technical Education Teacher from Shawano Community High School and a member of Fred’s family.

Collecting the Award & Payment Procedure:

Recipients must fill out and submit Scholarship Acceptance Form and Scholarship Verification Form through the Scholarship Portal (https://www.grantinterface.com/Home/Logon?urlkey=cffvrscholar). Recipients are required to provide supporting documents as instructed in the Scholarship Verification Form, such as class registration/list with credits listed, proof of major, grade transcript, etc. After approval of online Scholarship Verification Form, the scholarship check will be paid directly to the school the recipient will be attending. The Community Foundation communicates with students via email; it is the student’s responsibility to keep their Scholarship Portal account updated with their current email address.

Loss of Eligibility:

Failure to register as a part-time or full-time student at an accredited technical school.

Further Information:

• Shawano Community High School Guidance Department • Community Foundation for the Fox Valley Region o Website www.cffoxvalley.org/scholarships/ o Email scholarships@cffoxvalley.org o Phone 920.702.762