Rosemary and Lou Oberndorf are well known in the higher education world as steadfast supporters of college completion. Through relationships with colleges across the country, they have helped hundreds of students achieve their dreams of completing a college degree.
But when it came to doing something more substantial, something that would have a lasting impact on some of the most need-driven students out there, they turned to Phi Theta Kappa and established the Oberndorf Lifeline to Completion Scholarship Endowment.
The scholarship gives financial support to students facing unanticipated financial barriers to degree or certificate completion. The fund was established by a challenge to raise $500,000 – half from donations and the other half matched by the Oberndorfs.
“I know how very low the graduation rates are among colleges in general, particularly at community colleges,” Lou Oberndorf said. “And when you’re talking about Phi Theta Kappa, you’re talking about the best of the best. These students really deserve the opportunity to complete.”
Students like Danielle Petron of Tigard, Oregon, a recipient of a $500 Oberndorf Scholarship. Petron found herself living in her car in February 2012. She lost her unemployment benefits in October 2012 and lost her financial aid when the winter term ended.
Or students like Jesus Bernal of Newark, Delaware, also an Oberndorf Scholar. Bernal was diagnosed in March 2013 with ulcerative colitis, which requires regular medication and doctors’ visits. Despite missing school and work because of the condition, he has maintained a 3.7 GPA.
The Oberndorfs’ relationship with Phi Theta Kappa began when Lou — then-CEO of METI, a leader in medical education technology whose products are used in many community colleges and leading medical schools — joined with the American Association of Community Colleges (AACC) to establish a scholarship for community college students in health care fields in memory of his friend and mentor, Frank Lanza. Phi Theta Kappa was approached to administer the scholarship, and a total of $50,000 in Frank Lanza Memorial Scholarships has been given since 2011.
Lou Oberndorf is also a member of the Phi Theta Kappa Foundation Board of Trustees. During Phi Theta Kappa’s 2014 Annual Convention, the Oberndorf Family Foundation will receive the 2014 Alliance for Educational Excellence Award.
“The efficiency and the good stewardship I saw in the management of the Lanza Scholarship, and the more I learned about Phi Theta Kappa, convinced me that if we were to have a bigger and a broader impact on community college students, then a deeper relationship with Phi Theta Kappa would have to be a big part of that,” Lou said.
Lou is a first-generation college student who received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Portland in Oregon and an MBA from the University of Utah. He lived in San Francisco, California, with his single mother and three siblings before his mother remarried and moved the family to Seattle, Washington.
“I knew that an education was critical to achieving anything,” he said. “And I was given the opportunity, so I feel strongly that others should have that opportunity too and that we should pay it forward at all levels.”
Rosemary Oberndorf grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and attended Chestnut Hills College, a private women’s college in Pennsylvania. Her mother was a first-generation American, and her father immigrated to America from Italy when he was five. He knew an education was important, so he completed his bachelor’s, master’s and Ph.D. programs at night while he worked full-time as an executive for AT&T — a huge source of inspiration for her.
“You can have the will to learn, and you can have the drive to succeed, but without the finances to support yourself, how do you do it?” Rosemary said.
The mission of Phi Theta Kappa and its Community College Completion Corps (C4) initiative struck a chord with the Oberndorfs. Completing a degree or certificate — even if it’s workforce training that can lead to gaining a new skill for a current job — is viewed by the Oberndorfs as a ticket to the next phase of your life. It was a mission they were proud to support.
“At a community college, we know it doesn’t take much to throw them off the track to completion,” he said. “Completion is critical to me. Completion is the signal to the world that you’ve achieved something, and it will stay with you the rest of your life.”
Rosemary admits she knew next to nothing about community colleges before Lou began working with them through his business. But the more she heard him talk about the experiences of the students attending community colleges, the more she learned about the “wealth of opportunities” community colleges are able to offer students.
“When Lou and I started thinking about this scholarship, it was important for us to know that it would help students jump from a community college to a four-year college,” Rosemary said.
Through their partnership with Phi Theta Kappa, the Oberndorfs have provided opportunities not only to students of need but to students of excellence as well. It’s a partnership that is continuing to yield a lasting impact.
“When I started my business, I discovered the power of community colleges in society, and I’ve been a staunch advocate for them ever since,” Lou said. “They are one of the most valuable assets in our society.
“And if you believe that, then you have to believe that Phi Theta Kappa is at the top of that pyramid.”
