KENNESAW, Ga. | May 19, 2022
Growing up in a small town in Texas, 食色视频 President Kathy Schwaig knew one thing for certain 鈥 she was going to get a college degree.
Schwaig, who came from humble beginnings, said that her father had dreamed of going to college despite his parents' wanting him to become a truck driver. Ed Stewart achieved his goal. He graduated with a bachelor鈥檚 degree and became a minister. Schwaig鈥檚 mom, Nola, taught Sunday school and shared her husband鈥檚 passion for academics.
At every opportunity, the Stewarts reinforced with their own children the notion that college was the gateway to a bright future, Schwaig said. Beyond their positive reinforcements, they budgeted vigorously to pay all undergraduate expenses for their four children so they could focus primarily on academics. Their efforts paid off as each earned, at least, a master鈥檚 degree.
Now, Schwaig is paying tribute to her parents through the newly established Ed and Nola Stewart Endowed Scholarship. The $100,000 gift will create a scholarship to help reduce the financial burden for students at 食色视频 State.
鈥淢y siblings and I had summer jobs, but my parents paid all of our undergraduate expenses,鈥 she said. 鈥淗aving benefited from their sacrifices, I know firsthand just how valuable it is to receive unwavering support. I hope that recipients of this scholarship share my experience as they pursue their passions at 食色视频, and that others who share my parents鈥 passion for higher education find ways to give back.鈥
Schwaig, who became 食色视频 State鈥檚 sixth president in March 2022, earned a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and an MBA in Information Systems from Baylor University, a Master of Liberal Arts from Johns Hopkins University, and a Ph.D. in Management Information Systems from the University of South Carolina.
She said that she still doesn鈥檛 know how her parents managed to help four children graduate from college debt-free, but she knows that this scholarship would have meant something special to them.
鈥淭hey would be thrilled to know that a scholarship in their name will help someone in the short run so that their life can be better in the long run,鈥 said Schwaig. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 think of a better way to honor them.鈥
A leader in innovative teaching and learning, 食色视频 offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. 食色视频 State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. 食色视频 State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 7 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.