Packers Foundation Gives $250,000 to Koonce Scholars at Marian University

The path to a college degree is possible for more first-generation, low-income students, thanks to a generous grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation.  The $250,000 matching grant was awarded this past week to the Dr. George E. Koonce Scholars Program, which aims to eliminate barriers to higher education for all students, including those from minority and underserved communities.

The Packers Foundation’s Impact Grants, which gave $1.7 million to 10 organizations – a record amount awarded at one time, since the Impact Grants Program’s inception in 2013.  The Impact Grants are aimed at organizations that focus on a wide variety of community needs.  Grant recipients were celebrated at a special luncheon at Lambeau Field on June 19th, which included Michael Barber, Chair of Packers Foundation; Dexter McNabb, Co-Chair of Packers Foundation and Mark Murphy, President and CEO of the Green Bay Packers.

“The Packers Foundation had many organizations to choose from for these Impact

Grants.  We are honored and blessed they saw the value in our Koonce Scholars Program and its potential to open a world of opportunities for these deserving students,” said Dr. George E. Koonce, founder of the Dr. George E. Koonce Scholars Program, Senior Vice President for University Relations at Marian University, and a former Packers player.

Dr. Koonce started the Koonce Scholars Program a year ago at Marian University in Fond du Lac, to offer low-income and underserved students a path to a college degree, with both financial and academic support.  What’s unique about the program, is that Dr. Koonce started bringing busloads of students from economically-challenged areas on trips to Lambeau Field, to show them it’s not just about the football players, but how all the people working behind the scenes contribute to the success of the Packers organization.  The trip includes a Lunch and Learn, where students hear about Marian University’s academic programs and athletics, along with the support services to help them be successful in college.

Dr. Koonce, who came from humble beginnings in North Carolina, tells students that his academic achievements expanded his world view.  “My goal with the Koonce Scholars Program is to help these students grow personally and professionally,” said Dr. Koonce. “With a college degree, many of these students will change the trajectory of their families.”

The challenge at hand will be gather donations to match the Green Bay Packers Impact grant.  “If we raise the matching $250,000, the total benefit to students in the program will be $500,000,” said Josie Dowling, Executive Assistant for Academic Affairs at Marian University, who is helping with grant writing and fundraising for the Koonce Scholars. “Another way to look at it – whatever you can give, it will be worth twice as much.”

Funding may come from individual donors, other grants, or corporate sponsorships.  To learn more, please visit: https://www.marianuniversity.edu/student-life/special-programs/dr-george-e-koonce-scholars-program/

Marian University was founded in 1936 by the Congregation of Sisters of St. Agnes, a group of pioneering sisters, in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. The university has a rich tradition of dedication to the education of the whole person and offers a variety of undergraduate, masters and adult learning degrees at its main campus and online.