The Ford City High School Alumni Association
is proud to honor Edna Garth.

University Park, Pa.—Mark and Lisa Krosse wanted to show their appreciation
for the woman who, working as the family’s childcare provider for 13 years,
helped them raise their two children. How they ultimately honored Edna Garth,
of Ford City, will benefit generations of Penn State students.
The Krosses have committed $50,000 to the University to endow the Edna
Garth Trustee Scholarship to support undergraduates in academic programs in
the College of Health and Human Development. First preference for the award
will go to graduates of Ford City High School in the Armstrong (County) School
District, where Garth now lives in retirement.

“Edna is one of the most wonderful, caring people Lisa and I have ever
met,” said Mark Krosse. “She has a natural ability with small children, and we
wanted to honor this special person in a very special way.”
The Krosses, of Westport, Conn., are retired IBM executives. Neither is a
Penn State alumnus or previous donor to the University.
“Actually, I discovered Penn State’s Trustee Scholarships on the Internet,”
Mark Krosse said. “They have matching funds and can begin aiding students
right away, which was important to us. And we knew Edna had family roots in
Pennsylvania.

“We selected the College of Health and Human Development because of
its strong programs in family studies and childhood development.”
Implemented in 2002 upon approval by the University's Board of
Trustees, the program has a unique matching component: the University matches
5 percent of the principal of each gift annually and combines these funds with
income from the endowment to effectively double the financial impact of the
scholarship. The matching funds become available to students as soon as the
donors sign scholarship guidelines.

While the Krosses are new to the Penn State family, Edna Garth has a
strong connection to the University: her son Gregory holds an associate’s degree
from Penn State New Kensington and a bachelor’s degree from Penn State
Harrisburg, and graduated from the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical
Center College of Medicine as a medical doctor.

Recipients of the Edna Garth Trustee Scholarship will be
determined by the College of Health and Human Development scholarship
committee in coordination with Penn State’s Office of Student Aid.