Dougherty History Corner

Dr. Irene Kovala, the new president of Glendale Community College recently invited Mary Martha Prince and Linda Czarnecki to lunch on campus.  She shared her vision for the future at GCC with us and thanked the Foundation for its long history of scholarships at the school.                                                  

Linda Czarnecki, Mary Martha Prince, Dr. Irene Kovala with photo of Dr. John F. Prince

During lunch, Mary Martha shared her memories of the development of GCC.   After our visit she shared the following for our newsletter:

"  The years 1965-1966 - the corner of Olive & 59th Avenues, a beautiful palm-studded 120 acre parcel, had been selected as the site of the third campus in the recently created Maricopa County Junior College District. 

Dr. John F. Prince had been appointed Executive Dean (now president) of the new campus.  As one who participated in the development of the Arizona Community Colleges, he was fortunate to have been involved in pioneering programs, building community support, determining campus architecture, and overseeing building progress. 

As Dr. Prince immersed himself in all these facets of the Glendale campus, he was most keen to hire quality faculty and staff and to offer a sound curriculum that met the needs of students and the Glendale community. 

These were years of much accomplishment and a source of tremendous joy for Dr. Prince.  Of this I know:  he is my father.   He loved sharing campus stories.  On my holiday visits to Phoenix, it was never long before we were at the Glendale campus, touring around in a small golf cart. 

At first there wasn't much more than dirt and palm trees for him to show off.  With each of my visits, there was more to see - an administration

Dr. John F. Prince

building, a library, a classroom complex.  In time, a campus and athletic facilities - registrations and classes.  The foundation was set firm. 

Today, the campus is in the capable hands of Dr. Kovala.  My sense is she will steward it well." 

Dr. Prince aslo served as a Dougherty board member from 1978 through 1988.

"I am writing to express my gratitude to the Dougherty Foundation for its invaluable assistance.  I was a recipient of the Foundation's scholarship and loan programs while at the University of Arizona from 1996-1999.  I graduated in 1999 with a bachelor's degree in psychology.  I went on to earn a master's degree in community counseling from Oklahoma State University in 2002 and a doctoral degree in counseling psychology in 2006 from Our Lady of the Lake University in San Antonio, Texas.  I completed a clinical internship in health psychology at the VA Medical Center in San Antonio as well, and then was hired on afterward as faculty in their psychology service, where I became the psychologist for a 40-bed residential rehabilitation program for homeless veterans.  That experience allowed me to fulfill the dream that had guided me since my early undergraduate days:  participating in the delivery of holistic healthcare. 

My work in the VA was extraordinarily challenging and rewarding.  I learned an incredible amount about people and what it means to serve them, as well as how hard real change is for many.  I trained many interns and postdoctoral residents,

Ken and Amy Major with daughters Olivia and Molly

taught at the graduate and undergraduate level, and learned how to participate and lead effectively in a large medical center environment.  I was the acting chief of our rehabilitation program for over six months, and was also fortunate enough to be given a national award from the VA Psychologist Leaders's association for my work with recovering addicts and ex-prisoners. 

In the summer of 2011 I accepted an administrative position at Community Care Network, a large community mental health organization in Rutland, Vermont.  This was a big leap from Texas, but it represented an opportunity for our family to live in a rural environment that is a wonderful fit for our values.  My wife is enjoying a break from university teaching and our two daughters, age 7 and 9, are thriving.  I am now licensed as a psychologist in Vermont, and hope to resume teaching and clinical work in the future. 

I am so very grateful for the assistance the Dougherty Foundation provided me.  It made a huge difference materially, as my parents were not in the position to contribute much at all to my undergraduate education.  Perhaps, equally, though, it provided both an incentive and a form of encouragement.  It helped me to believe in myself and stimulated a strong desire to honor the investment made in me.  These were crucial things in my development, and helped me become the person and professional I am today."

All Dougherty recipients are encouraged to apply for Dougherty funds when they transfer from a community college to either another Maricopa Community College or to one of the universities here in Arizona.  To see if your new school is in the Dougherty program, check the list of our participating schools listed on the left.

A new application and transcripts are required at the new school.  Be sure to tell your financial aid counselor that you are a Dougherty scholar.  As long as you still meet Dougherty requirements, you will be awarded a Dougherty scholarship and/or loan to complete your education.  Dougherty funding at the university level is half scholarship and half loan for students enrolled on a full-time basis.

Many of the schools have the Dougherty application on their website.  Click on their link in the school list in the column on the left.

Q:  It's the second semester of the school year, how do I get my funds?

A:  Your school notifies the Foundation of your progress and funds are sent to the school after your G.P.A. and hours are reviewed.

Q:  Is it to early to apply for next year?

A:  No, if you've completed the FAFSA for 2012-13 and your school has posted our scholarship/loan forms on their website you should apply as early as possible. 

Be sure to keep receiving this newsletter from the Dougherty Foundation by giving us your personal email address instead of the school issued address you may have listed on your Dougherty application.  We don't provide your information to anyone.  Click here to update your email address:

                          doughertyfnd1@qwestoffice.net

We are always happy to hear from our former students and that's why we include our "Student Spotlight" section in this newsletter.  Not only is it gratifying to our board members to hear that the work of the Dougherty Foundation has helped shape the lives of our recipients, but we hope that hearing the personal success stories of others will give hope to those currently struggling to finish their education. 

Please notify us if you change your address.  If you're in loan repayment contact FAME at (800) 327-5772 x310.