Delaware Tech announces new scholarship endowment for nursing and allied health professions
Delaware Technical Community College announced the creation of the Chris M. Fisher and Michael E. Peterson Scholarship Endowment for Nursing and Allied Health Professions. This newly established endowment will provide scholarships to Delaware Tech students who are seeking a credit certificate, diploma or degree in nursing or an allied health program. The donors who have made this endowment possible, Fisher and Peterson, firmly believe, “Learning never ends in life. As a result we have established this scholarship endowment to help others start their own journey of learning, growth, and development.”
Fisher was born into a middle-class family in southeastern North Carolina. While it took him over 25 years of working and going to school to complete his degree, he was determined not to give up on his dream of an education. He received his bachelor of science in applied behavioral science in 1990 from the National College of Education, National Louis University in Evanston, Ill. Fisher realizes the importance of an education and how it can have a direct impact on individuals and their families’ well-being and the communities in which they live.
Peterson was born in California into a middle-class family that stressed the importance of education to him and his siblings. This emphasis on education made an impact, as he developed a strong interest in learning. Peterson pursued his education through hard work to pay for tuition and other fees, and now holds a bachelor of science degree in political science from the University of Idaho. Determined not to stop there, with additional hard work, Peterson earned a master’s degree in management with a concentration in human resource development from the National College of Education, National Louis University in Evanston, Ill.
Both men had successful careers with the federal government, and met while working and living in the Washington, D.C. area. They were married Oct. 11, 2013. After retirement, they built a home in Rehoboth Beach and moved there full time.
Both knew from an early age, from their parents' influence, that education was paramount to a successful career. Without the necessary funding from family to pay for an education, both men worked hard to earn money for their education and that, coupled with student loans, helped them reach their educational goals. With an understanding of how difficult it can be to obtain an education when funds are scarce, they set up the Chris M. Fisher and Michael E. Peterson Scholarship Endowment for Nursing and Allied Health Professions to help others who are in similar financial situations as they were when younger and struggling to meet their educational goals. They also became Delaware Tech Legacy Society members by including a gift commitment in their estate plans.
In the 2014-15 academic year, Delaware Tech’s Owens Campus awarded scholarships to 321 students, totaling over $326,000.To contribute to the Chris M. Fisher and Michael E. Peterson Scholarship Endowment for Nursing and Allied Health Professions, or to learn more about creating a scholarship at the Jack F. Owens Campus of Delaware Technical Community College in Georgetown, contact Jason Bentley, director of development, at 302-259-6024 or bentley@dtcc.edu, or go to www.dtcc.edu/makeagift.
