14
April
2022
|
23:35 PM
Europe/Amsterdam

DMC Foundation Announces $1 Million Gift in Appreciated Stock to Support First Generation College Students Through Legamaro Family Endowed Scholarship

Scholarship recipients can complete studies at Del Mar College and continue education at local universities and DMC to earn baccalaureate degrees tuition-free

Article by Melinda Eddleman

Hope and encouragement are incredibly important in the occupational therapy field, and part of my job is encouraging others to do things they may not believe are possible. This is a difficult thing to do when dealing with my own challenges.

DMC Occupational Therapy Assistant major Brittany Jones

Jones spoke today, April 14, during a donor recognition and scholarship gift announcement held by the Del Mar College Foundation to thank Timothy and Cyndy Legamaro for $1 million in appreciated stock to support the Legamaro Family Endowed Scholarship.

The donation is the largest scholarship gift directly targeting “first generation” college students that the DMC Foundation has received.

DMC Occupational Therapy Assistant major Brittany Jones_closeup_041422

Jones, who graduates next month and is a nontraditional student undergoing a complete career change to provide a better life for her family, said that the Legamaros’ “kindness and generosity has given me the opportunity to help others realize their goals and believe in their own inner strength while developing my own. Change can be intimidating, especially when others are relying on you, so this scholarship has truly been a blessing for my family and me.”

She is one of the first 14 students to receive a Legamaro Family Endowed Scholarship for the 2021-2022 academic year. Through the Legamaros’ gift, the DMC foundation can provide annually  between $40,000 and $50,000 in scholarships supporting an average of 10 to 15 students with a tuition-free education.

Part of our goal was to help students graduate with limited debt because we know what a burden college debt can be, and investing in scholarships is our way to mitigate some of that debt and support families now and into the future by supporting their ability to obtain better jobs.

Timothy Legamaro, Scholarship Benefactor for the Legamaro Family Endowed Scholarship

Legamaro is no stranger to the classroom. He taught business and finance as an adjunct instructor with the College’s Business Administration Department in the 1980s and is now president of Legamaro Financial Services, Inc.

The Legamaro Family Endowed Scholarship supports students pursuing a broad range of majors––including certificates and associate’s degrees––that lend themselves to careers available in the Coastal Bend. Scholarship recipients receive funds covering tuition, fees and textbooks for as many classes as students are enrolled.

Additionally, the scholarship follows recipients to either Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi or Texas A&M University-Kingsville to complete bachelor’s degrees in their chosen field––a first for a scholarship offered through the DMC Foundation. Or, recipients currently pursuing a career as a registered nurse through the College’s Nurse Education Department can use the scholarship to continue studies in Del Mar’s RN-to-BSN program to complete their bachelor’s degree.

Zach Major, a firefighter, paramedic and DMC Nurse Education major, is another Legamaro Family Endowed Scholarship recipient, and he plans to pursue the College’s RN-to-BSN degree. Eventually, Major plans to earn his master’s degree, too. While he couldn’t attend the announcement due to a 48-hour rotation with paramedic duties, Major did provide a few words on video that the DMC Foundation played during the event:   

During the announcement, Legamaro noted that Del Mar College was selected for the scholarship investment because of the quality offerings and low cost that allow students to pursue rewarding careers locally, adding, “But, we wanted this investment to support the goals of the individual student, so we expanded the scholarship to help the students through their baccalaureate degree at one of the local universities.”

Because the Legamaros lived and raised their family in Flour Bluff, first preference goes to recipients who have graduated from Flour Bluff High School. “We are of this community … [and] we are partial to our neighborhood, so these students get top preference when it comes to awarding the scholarships,” Legamaro said.

DMC Foundation Executive Director Mary McQueen_Legamaro Donation Recognition_041422

DMC Foundation Executive Director Mary McQueen added, “The Legamaros know that if you change the future of a student who is the first in their family to attend college, you help them change the future of their entire family for generations. In fact, students whose families attended college are 75 percent more likely to see higher education as a viable option, and Coastal Bend communities are better because of the generosity donors like Tim and Cyndy Legamaro have shown Del Mar College and our students.”

Each year, the DMC Foundation awards between $1.4 and $1.9 million in scholarship assistance benefitting between 1,400 and 1,700 individual students.

Currently, the application process for all DMC Foundation scholarships is open through Apr. 30 for the 2022-2023 academic year. Individuals can go directly to the online application page using the following link: https://delmar.edu/foundation/scholarships/index.html

To inquire about scholarships or becoming a donor, contact the DMC Foundation at 361-698-1317 or foundation@delmar.edu.

 

 

 

About Del Mar College

Del Mar College empowers students to achieve their dreams. We offer quality programs, individual attention, outstanding instruction through faculty with real-world experience and affordable costs to credit and noncredit students in Corpus Christi and the South Texas Coastal Bend area. Nationally recognized while locally focused, we’re ranked in the top two percent of community colleges in the country granting associate degrees to Hispanic students (Community College Week). Del Mar College focuses on offering our students programs that match current or emerging career opportunities. Whether students are interested in the fine arts, sciences, business, occupational or technical areas, students get the education they need for the future they want at Del Mar College.