Throughout his life, Roe Stamps has devoted a significant amount of time and resources to philanthropic causes, including the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, which he created with his wife, Penny. The Foundation awards merit scholarships for undergraduates at various colleges across the United States.
Elizabethtown College is among the fortunate.
Currently home to a dozen Stamps Scholars—the first group graduates in spring 2015—Elizabethtown sees these students as “change agents”—those who show a mind for innovation and leadership. The scholarship helps them obtain the best education available and, even better, “they are released from the financial burden to pursue that education,” said Jean Pretz, associate professor of psychology at Elizabethtown and director of the College’s Stamps Scholars Program.
“The Stamps Scholarship is a once in a life-time opportunity.”
Each Stamps Scholar receives full tuition for four years plus an enrichment fund of up to $6,000 that supports study abroad, community service, civic engagement, leadership development or support for summer research or internships, Pretz said.
Elizabethtown became one of 39 colleges across the United States to be part of the Stamps Scholars program because an assistant who worked for Roe Stamps had personal connections E-town. “We are one of the smallest colleges to receive the scholarships,” said Pretz.
Each year, 10 high school seniors, with outstanding records in scholarship, leadership, service and creativity, are selected as finalists from almost 4,000 Elizabethtown College applications. Once notified of their consideration, they talk with a representative of the Stamps Foundation. “They might be interviewed by Mr. Stamps, himself,” Pretz said. If chosen, the students have until May 1 to decide if they are attending Elizabethtown.
Stamps Scholars possess skills in leadership, service, innovation and persuasion or they have overcome a significant obstacle, Pretz said. Knowing that the Foundation is looking for the strongest students in all areas, the College works closely with admissions to narrow the field.
The recipients for the Class of 2018 were chosen in mid-March, and they have six weeks to decide if E-town is a good fit.
Junior, sophomore scholars excel
Elizabethtown College’s first three Scholars are now juniors. One studies biochemistry; another double majored in engineering and history; and Tamara Eichelberger is a sociology-anthropology major with minors in German and history.
For Eichelberger, being recognized as a Stamps Scholar was a significant bonus to attending Elizabethtown. “I could not give up such an amazing distinction,” she said. “The Stamps Scholarship is a once in a life-time opportunity. It reminds me of my potential to make a difference in the world and gives me motivation to succeed. Being a Stamps Scholar also means being a leader on campus.”
With leadership in mind, Eichelberger used a portion of her scholarship award to attend the Stamps Scholars Leadership Convention, where she met scholars from other colleges and learned about various leadership techniques.
She also used her stipend to purchase airfare for a semester in Germany in spring 2013. “This summer, I hope to use the stipend for an archaeological field school abroad,” she said.
The sophomore class at Elizabethtown boasts five Stamps Scholars with majors in international business, history, professional writing, psychology and actuarial sciences.
Gates Failing, the biology major, presently is in The Gambia, West Africa, as part of the PEACE (Promoting Education and Cultural Exchange) a program of St. Mary’s College of Maryland. Failing pulled from his Stamps stipend to fund his flight to The Gambia and is augmenting some of his living expenses while there. “I also plan to use the monies for funding an unpaid internship in the future or for research purposes, such as traveling to a conference,” he said.
Through the PEACE program, Failing conducts a service-learning project at a teaching hospital, where he learns about Gambian medical practices. “I desired a study abroad experience that involved an internship and an out-of-classroom learning experience,” he said. “I am planning to conduct an anthropological research project on the interaction between modern and traditional medical practices.”
As a senior in high school, Failing Skyped with Roe Stamps, founder of the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation after being notified of eligibility, and at the end of the conversation, Stamps simply stated that “the program would welcome me as a new scholar at Elizabethtown,” Failing said. The Foundation likely chose him, Failing said, due to his academic record, high school involvement and diverse life story.
As his mother is an alumna, Failing applied to Elizabethtown on her recommendation and, after visiting campus and being awarded the scholarship, his “decision had been solidified,” he said. “I would become a Blue Jay!”
Stamps Scholar Society creates cohort group
Failing credits his connection to the Stamps network and upperclassmen Stamps Scholars, for a smooth transition from high school to college.
“The small and tight-knit nature of our campus community has been instrumental in my success so far,” he said. “Many of the opportunities I have engaged in would not be possible at a larger institution,” such as conducting biological research last summer via the SCARP (Summer Scholarship, Creative Arts and Research) Program, which supports independent student research under the sponsorship of a faculty mentor. “I cannot wait to see what the next two years will bring in terms of academic and personal success.”
Other Stamps Scholars have had similar experiences as they participate in College clubs, athletics and internships, including one who spent last summer researching at Georgia Tech and another who was an intern in Boulder, Colo. Several of the scholars, noted Pretz, have used their stipend for travel and for additional classes.
“Many,” Failing said, “have prestigious internships nationally and abroad. Others are excelling in world-class research projects, musical ensembles and entrepreneurial pursuits.” And, he said, there is a Facebook page for scholars to share ideas, connections, and interesting experiences.
To assist in that endeavor, Tamara Eichelberger was instrumental in forming a Stamps Scholar Society at E-town. The purpose of which is to get the Stamps Scholars more involved and connected.
“I was inspired while attending a leadership conference at the University of Illinois,” she said. At many schools where the scholarship is well-established they had clubs through which the Scholars bonded and joined in service projects.
“Our goal is to participate in service events and to also meet regularly to facilitate connections between the scholars,” she said of the Society, adding that the club gives solidarity to the group. “It can be overwhelming to understand the opportunities available for Stamps Scholars. We hope that new scholars can learn from the older ones.”
Eichelberger, who describes herself as a learner, plans to earn a Ph.D. in biological anthropology or archaeology after graduation from Elizabethtown. Failing sees medical school in his future and then working for a government organization, such as the U.S. Public Health Service. “I am also looking at applying for a prestigious scholarship for post-graduation,” he said.
Failing aims to continue as a ‘change agent,’ which he envisions as a person who recognizes areas in which society can be improved, an individual who compiles background research and mobilizes the resources at his or her disposal, who motivates peers to join in and make the vision a reality.
As he grew up in a military family, he’s lived many places—Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Alaska, California and Oklahoma—which, he said, influenced his personality and outlook. “As a result, I seek employment with an organization that would allow me to transfer around the nation or perhaps internationally,” Failing said.
For him, being a Stamps scholar translates as membership in an organization that is greater than him, alone, and the scholarship eliminates the financial burden of higher education, which, he said, enables him to focus on his academic and nonacademic pursuits.
“I look forward to watching how the organization blossoms as a direct result of the achievement of its sponsored scholars,” Failing said. “There is much potential for successful outcomes and international renown.”