Special to The Message
Reitz Memorial High School in Evansville received a donation of $1 million from Richard (Ric) and Katherine Gorman, which will fund the Gorman Family College Scholarship. Beginning with the graduating class of 2026, the fund will provide one $12,500 scholarship per year to a graduating senior chosen by committees formed by Reitz Memorial and the Gorman family. The scholarship will be awarded each year for four years to the recipient(s) for a total award of $50,000.
Ric and Katherine said, “Our family has a multi-generational relationship with and respect for Reitz Memorial High School. Our father (Robert) was a graduate in the class of 1939. My brothers and I were graduates of the classes of 1962 (Galen), 1964 (Gerry) and 1969 respectively. All our lives were impacted significantly by the education and guidance that we received at Memorial. Our parents (Bob and Louise) were both actively involved in a variety of capacities with Memorial in their later years. We all developed lifelong friendships that began at Memorial.
“We are so grateful to be blessed enough to bestow on future Memorial graduates the opportunity to continue their education via the $1 million Gorman Family Scholarship Fund. Establishing this Fund on Memorial’s 100th Anniversary is so perfect.
“We specifically want to make this fund a motivator for Memorial students to improve their academic performance. We also want to place an emphasis on those students who may not have substantial family financial resources that are available to help them continue their education career at college.
“Success in life is sometimes influenced by limited resources that can impact one’s ability to grow. Even more so, we believe that success is determined by one’s motivation and dedication to grow and improve their performance. It’s our sincerest hope that these scholarships will make it possible for many Memorial graduates to continue their path to success in life.”
Memorial President Josh Reising said, “Memorial is filled with gratitude because of the generosity the Gorman family has shown. Because of their incredible gift, many students will be blessed with the opportunity to continue their formation into their college years. This scholarship will inspire students, especially those who have an opportunity to substantially improve their GPA over their high school career.”
The scholarship award criteria will be driven by improvements that students made in their GPA during their time at Memorial and by the financial assistance needs of the candidates.
The scholarship will be awarded to a student who:
- Demonstrated substantial improvement in their cumulative GPA from the end of their second semester through their seventh semester
- Completes an essay related to how they improved their GPA and what impact that has had on their plans for the future
- Completes the FAFSA and includes the SAI report with their scholarship application
- Has limited family resources to fund their college/university education
- Has a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.75 at the end of their seventh semester.
- Maintains a minimum cumulative GPA of 2.8 while attending college/university with a full-time status