A new scholarship endowment to benefit future generations of ISE students has been established by ISE alum and first-generation college student Tammy Montgomery. The David L. Montgomery ISE Scholarship Endowment, named after her father, will provide financial support to help ISE students–with a preference for undergraduates from our state’s underserved rural counties–receive a life-transforming education at NC State’s ISE Department. “As a land grant institution, part of our mission is to ensure that we serve the people of North Carolina,” explained Julie Swann, ISE department head. “It is an excellent example of helping prospective students living in many different communities.”
Montgomery, originally from Eastern North Carolina (Bladen County), named the endowment after a man who had never stepped foot in a college classroom and yet was the smartest man she had ever met. Montgomery’s dream has been to provide opportunities for deserving students like the one she received at NC State. This passion was evident from the very beginning. “Getting to know Tammy and working with her to create this new endowment has been extremely moving and meaningful to me personally,” shared Wanda Urbanska, ISE’s Director of Development. “I am moved by her appreciation for her home department and the desire to honor the memory of her late father in this way. Tammy exemplifies the best of the best!”
The beauty of the endowment is that it will give opportunities to many students in the future. “Like all endowments, this is the gift that keeps on giving,” explained Urbanska. ” Once it is actualized, scholarship support will be available in perpetuity for undergraduate students pursuing an ISE education.”
Many ISE alums have had the experience of being the first in their family to go to college or of helping to put themselves through college by working. This kind of endowment will resonate with them. An engineering education is an excellent return on investment, although it can be expensive in the short term. It is critical that ISE is accessible and affordable for all. “Tammy Montgomery’s endowment and others help us recruit a broad and diverse student population to NC State, said Swann.
ISE students and alums are often known as “people-oriented. “I love that Tammy Montgomery is giving back by helping the future generation of ISE “people,” confided Swann.