Brunner and Wescott establish scholarships at Delaware Tech

Delaware Tech students have two new scholarships to support their education thanks to the generosity of two Lewes residents. Judith Wells Brunner and Philip C. Wescott each established a scholarship endowment for Delaware Tech students earlier this year.

The Judith Wells Brunner Scholarship Endowment will support Delaware Tech students enrolled in any credit nursing or allied health academic program who have a high financial need. Preference will be given to students who are parents and/or post-traditional students.

The Philip C. Wescott Scholarship Endowment supports students who demonstrate financial need with a preference for international students on an F-1 Visa.

Both scholarships are available to Delaware Tech students statewide.

Brunner moved to Delaware from Virginia when she was 11 years old. She graduated from Newark High School and enrolled at the University of Delaware, where she majored in elementary education. After three semesters in college, uncertain about her major, Brunner began working for a dentist, where she ultimately managed accounts receivable for three years before transferring to another dentist office to serve as office manager for the next 22 years. Prior to retirement, Brunner was the administrator for a large orthopedic practice.

While working, Brunner continued taking classes to improve her knowledge in management and accounting. She became a certified dental assistant through studying at Wilmington Hospital and the University of Maryland. She attended classes at the University of Delaware, Delaware Tech, and Wilmington University. She never lost interest in education, and after retirement, she attended many classes at Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Wilmington and Lewes.

“I believe in Delaware Technical Community College because I believe in education and supporting students as they strive to improve their knowledge for success in their chosen field or in life,” she said. “I like the smaller campuses, the more individualized counsel, and the atmosphere for the returning student.”

Brunner has volunteered at various nonprofits over the past 10 years, including Delaware Hospice, Food Pantry, Sunday Breakfast Mission, Meals on Wheels, Christiana Hospital, SPCA and Supporting Kidds. She resides in Lewes with Philip Wescott.

Wescott is a retired strategic marketing and communications consultant who worked with for-profit and nonprofit organizations in the Mid-Atlantic region. Wescott’s work experience includes public relations with General Motors, military public information officer service during the Vietnam era, pharmaceutical marketing with Bristol-Myers Squibb Co., advertising agency management roles with Saatchi & Saatchi, and public relations agency experience with Burson-Marsteller. He came to Delaware in 1986 as a senior executive at Christiana Care Health System, where he was responsible for marketing, sales, communications, government and community relations, board relations, fundraising and volunteer programming.

Wescott also served as a faculty member in the Department of Communication at the University of Delaware, retiring from full-time teaching at the end of 2008. He is a graduate of Wabash College, Indiana University, and the University of Delaware, with additional post-graduate coursework at Dartmouth College and the University of Michigan. Wescott also teaches courses at the UD Osher Lifelong Learning Institute in Lewes.

"In recent years, our nation's community colleges have earned wide recognition as very valuable resources for our economic and educational future,” Wescott said. “In Delaware, we all value our Delaware Tech campuses and academic programs for their contributions to a state economy that will need their well-prepared graduates to fuel our collective future. We should put our personal resources to work on behalf of DTCC."

Wescott has been heavily involved with numerous national and statewide organizations, including the Public Relations Society of America – where he is a fellow and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award, the American Marketing Association, the American Hospital Association, the Girl Scouts of America – Chesapeake Bay Council, the Delaware Community Foundation, and the Rehoboth Art League. He resides in Lewes with Judith Brunner.

Both scholarships have been awarded this semester to students and were recognized during the annual scholarship luncheon March 14.

Donors can establish named scholarship endowments at Delaware Tech with a minimum of $20,000, which can be funded through payments over four years. For more information about establishing scholarships, contact the Delaware Tech Development Office at 302-857-1665.