LEWISTON, Idaho – An anonymous donor has set up a scholarship endowment to honor two Lewis-Clark State College professors for the impact they make on students as well as the Lewiston-Clarkston community.
The Clay and Mary Lou Robinson Scholarship Endowment will begin distribution next fall. It was established with a $25,000 donation and the fund currently is at $27,000.
The Robinson have taught at LC State for 25 years. They came to the college after teaching in California. Clay Robinson is a professor in the Movement & Sport Sciences Division. He also serves as the college’s Faculty Athletic Representative and was the NAIA Wally Schwarz Faculty Athletic Representative of the Year in 2018. Mary Lou Robinson is a professor in the Nursing & Health Sciences Division where she is also the assessment director and assistant to the chair. She has previously served as chair of the division. Both Robinsons have served on numerous committees and won several awards at the college, including both being honored with the President’s Award for Outstanding Teaching.
The anonymous donor allowed the Robinsons to create the criteria for the scholarship. To qualify, a student must be enrolled full-time, have financial need, and show a commitment to community service. Preference will be given to a first-generation college student and/or a student pursuing a degree in education or a health science field and/or a student-athlete participating on the tennis, golf, track or cross country team. The scholarship is renewable for up to four years if the award recipient meets the scholarship criteria.
“We are thrilled that this new endowment will help students who have a financial need for support to finish their degree in the areas of health sciences and education,” Clay Robinson said. “We thought about the criteria based on the experiences we have had here at LCSC and the students we serve. Both of us came from homes where our parents did not have college degrees and we feel very blessed that we have had support from others to complete our degrees and we want to give back to others.”
“Clay and I are honored to have the opportunity to teach students at Lewis-Clark State College,” Mary Lou Robinson said. “We look forward to distributing the endowment money to students and have a particular interest in helping those students who are underserved and underprivileged. We are eternally grateful for the gift that has been bestowed upon us. This gift will enable others to obtain their college education for generations to come.”
To learn more about the scholarship, creating or donating to scholarships, or making a donation to Lewis-Clark State College, visit www.lcsc.edu/giving or contact Erika Allen, director of College Advancement and the LC State Foundation executive director, at 208-792-2458.