Family memorializes loved ones with CAC scholarships

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The Central Arizona College Foundation has established a pair of new scholarships designed to help students earn a college education while keeping alive the memory of two members of the Central Arizona College family.

The JoAnn Harter Scholarship has been created in the memory of JoAnn Harter who passed away in the fall. JoAnn was the wife of Ed Harter, the current executive director/chief information officer.

The scholarship is designed to benefit nursing students with financial assistance as they work toward their degree. Tague Johnson, JoAnn Harter’s son, donated the initial $25,000 to endow the scholarship.

“Central Arizona College has a great number of students who would benefit significantly by receiving financial assistance,” Victor Gomez, the Foundation’s executive director, explained. “Establishing an endowed, named scholarship guarantees that it exists in perpetuity and that a deserving student will receive financial assistance every year.”

The interest earned from the investment of the endowment will be distributed annually in the form of a $1,200 student scholarship. Nursing students are invited each year to apply.

The JoAnn Harter Scholarship has several specifications that students must meet. The information is on file at the college.

The Zhe (Joe) Fang Memorial Promise for the Future Scholarship also has been established in memory of Central Arizona College’s director of computing infrastructure who lost his life last fall while he was an employee of the district.

“Joe was a wonderful person and an extremely well-liked member of the CAC family,” Gomez said. Fang joined the college in 1997, providing exemplary IT service to students, staff and the college community.

The native of China arrived to study in the United States during the early 1990s. He actively promoted cultural exchange programs and activities between the two countries at Central Arizona College.

In memory of his life and work, Joe’s family has worked closely with CAC to establish the scholarship. More than $25,000 in donations have come from Joe’s parents, Professor Li-Zhi Fang and Mrs. Shuxian Li; his brother, Mr. Ke Fang; Joe’s fiancé, Cheri Li; his friends from around the world; and his colleagues at CAC. Intel, where Joe’s brother works, also has made a matching donation.

Funds will benefit students eligible for Central’s Promise for the Future program. For more information on donating to these scholarships, please contact Gomez (520) 494-5221 or [email protected].

A list of various college scholarships is available by contacting the financial aid office at (520)494-5425 or by e-mail at [email protected].

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