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EAL Donates Half a Million Dollars in Cash Scholarships in 2016!
Hundreds of financially disadvantaged students at 50 active EAL partner schools (community colleges, colleges, and universities), along with five new schools, will benefit from a record $500,000 in cash scholarships this year that will go directly to the schools' scholarship funds. Due to the generosity of EAL's corporate donors, the schools' participation in the EAL inventory scholarship program, and the generosity of the EAL Board of Directors, this cash scholarship program, in its seventh year, has provided more than $1.8 million in total in scholarship benefits to students
.
"These new cash scholarship funds fill in the gap between what a student is obligated to pay in tuition cost and what the school is able to offer in financial aid, often making a difference in whether or not a student can continue with their education," said Claudia Freed, President & CEO.
For each of the past seven years, the EAL board has determined the level and availability of cash resources to fund this scholarship program. Due to school participation in ordering products from EAL, this amount has increased each year since its inception. If your school is an EAL partner and did not receive a cash scholarship award this year, please contact Susie Kessler at
[email protected]
with questions regarding your participation level.
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 Elaine Cartier Joins EAL Board of Directors
Elaine Cartier
EAL welcomed Elaine Cartier, Senior Manager, eCommerce Business Systems, CDW, as its newest board member at EAL's February 13th board meeting held at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Elaine has a strong background in eCommerce. She joined CDW in Vernon Hills, Ill., in 2011, where she is responsible for developing and executing eCommerce business technology architecture and strategy. Prior to her work at CDW, Elaine served as a Business Systems Manager and Business Applications Manager at Juno Lighting Group by Schneider Electric in Des Plaines, Ill. She also has worked as an Implementation Consultant at Effective Management Systems and Baan Company.
"
My parents have Ph.D.'s and always emphasize the importance of education," says Elaine. "I appreciate EAL's goal to help students and provide the opportunity for those who can't afford to attend colleges but want to continue with their education."
Elaine has a Bachelor of Arts degree in organizational psychology from the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and an EMBA from Northwestern University Kellogg School of Management. She also is an active volunteer, participating in various American Heart Association, YWCA and Feed My Starving Children events.
Elaine adds, "
With my background and interests, I look forward to getting involved in the EAL digital and eCommerce strategy to promote and market EAL and increase donations."
She and her husband, Jeremy, live in Elmhurst. She has close family members in Los Angeles and Taiwan and enjoys travel.
Elaine also partakes in many outdoor activities including biking, running, waterskiing, wakeboarding, and hiking.
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Welcome Saint Mary's College
In January 2016, EAL welcomed Saint Mary's College as a new partner.
Founded in 1844, Saint Mary  's College is a small Catholic women's liberal arts college located in Notre Dame, Indiana, across the street from Notre Dame University. Saint Mary's College is a close-knit student community of approximately 1,500 women that encourages students to work to achieve their potential and ultimately make a difference in the world.*
*Information is from the Saint Mary's College website.
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Have You Awarded Your EAL Scholarships?
Financial Aid Directors:
All
EAL community c
ollege
, college,
and university partners who
receive
EAL
cash
scholarships this year
must
award them
by 10/3/16.
Each
cash scholarship recipient
student also
must send a thank you note to Susie Kessler, Director, Educational Partnerships, at
[email protected]
or to P.O. Box 3021, Glen Ellyn, IL 60138.
The deadline for awarding
inventory scholarships
is
12/1/16
.
You can check your school's inventory scholarship balance and award cash or inventory scholarships any time by going to
www.inventorydonations.org and signing in with your username and password. If you are uploading a large list of scholarships, please feel free to upload your spreadsheet directly by choosing that option and following the sample spreadsheet for proper formatting. You also can edit your awards if needed by choosing the edit button. If you need sign-in information or have any questions about this process contact Susie Kessler at
[email protected]
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EAL Students Give Thanks
Here are a few thank you notes from the students who received cash scholarships last year.
"I was very happy to learn that I was a recipient of an EAL cash scholarship. I am writing to thank you for your generous, financial support towards my higher education.
I am a full time student pursuing a degree in Dental Hygiene. I am currently a junior and plan to graduate in the spring of 2016 with an Associate's Degree in General Studies and in the fall of 2016 I am going to go to Lakeland College in Mattoon for the Dental Hygiene Program.
By awarding me this cash award, I am able to concentrate on what is important for me and my education. Your financial generosity has allowed me to be one step closer to my goal and has inspired me to help others by giving back to the community. I hope one day I will be able to help other students achieve their goals just as you have helped me."
EAL Scholar, Lakeland College
"Thank you so much for giving me the gift of the EAL cash scholarship. This is helping take off quite a load of the financial burden put on my family in a time of need. This is such a tremendous help and a blessing for me on my way to achieve my degree and other academic goals."
EAL Scholar, Lee University
"I would like to take this opportunity to say thank you for the EAL cash scholarship. Words cannot express what this scholarship really means to me. As one of the older nursing students in my class, I was extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to receive my nursing education at Gwynedd Mercy University! This scholarship allows me to concentrate more on my studies. At times it can be extremely stressful trying to figure out how to keep paying for my education. I will always be extremely grateful for this award."
EAL Scholar, Gwynedd Mercy University
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Who We Are
EAL's mission is to act as a catalyst of transformation. We work with corporations to transform their landfill-bound inventory into opportunities for institutions of higher learning to obtain much-needed equipment.
These colleges and universities then create scholarships for financially disadvantaged students to make it possible for them to pursue their own, personal transformation.
The result: companies reduce waste, schools thrive, students prosper, society is strengthened and the environment is preserved. For more than 30 years, our commitment to our mission remains unchanged: to help support financially disadvantaged students. Since its inception, EAL has helped more than 15,000 students complete their college education by providing $1.8 million in cash scholarships.
Additionally, EAL has helped its higher education partners realize more than $17 million in savings through the reuse of donated corporate inventory. This is the transformation that inspires us. Together with our donors and partners, EAL makes it possible.
More than thirty years later, our commitment to our mission remains unchanged. Our first corporate donor in 1982 is still with EAL and is today a major supporter of our program. EAL accepts donations of new and used excess corporate equipment, inventory and supplies from across the U.S. Click here
to read how EAL's program works.
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