A Melding of the Passions: The Blankley Scholars

There is no surprise that Carl “Tobey” Oxholm III's first official act as Arcadia University’s President-elect was to visit Rosemary and Walter Blankley. The Blankley’s have not only volunteered in a plethora of roles at Arcadia, Rosemary’s Alma Mater (‘57), but they are both firm believers in the power of philanthropy and the importance of education.

So there is no doubt that the conversation eventually meandered to one of the Blankley’s dreams, combining scholarships and educational opportunities from Arcadia University with one of the other philanthropic endeavors that the Blankley’s are involved in—the Guadalupe Center of Immokalee. The Guadalupe Center is a unique non-profit in that it provides a clear path from the cradle to career, offering early childhood education, after-school tutoring and mentoring, wrap-around social services, and a college preparatory program called Tutor Corps. Their programs are all designed to break the cycle of poverty in one of Florida’s poorest communities. The Blankley’s have been involved in the Center since 2006 and have been tireless with their time, talent, and treasure. It is clear that President-elect Oxholm quickly became tuned in to the Blankley’s passions.

To the surprise of the Blankley’s and in front of 62 Tutor Corps high school students at the Guadalupe Center in Immokalee, on October 17^th 2011, the V.P. of Development for Arcadia, Jan Walbert, announced the Blankley Scholars program. Starting in the fall of 2012, Arcadia University is offering three full scholarships a year (room, board, tuition, and two round trip airline tickets every year) exclusively to Tutor Corps students. These scholarships will be named after the Blankley’s and the Tutor Corps members who receive them will be called the Blankley Scholars.

“This is a remarkable opportunity for our students,” proclaims Barbara Oppenheim, president of the Guadalupe Center. “The total amount of this scholarship for three students to attend for four years is staggering (over $560,000), an opportunity many of our Tutor Corps members have never dreamed of.” Oppenheim continues, “Arcadia University is well suited for what our students look for in a university experience. Arcadia is well known for giving students a global perspective, having one of the best study abroad programs in the nation. It is also a comprehensive university conveniently located in the diverse metropolitan area of Philadelphia which intrigues our students.”

For over seven years, the Guadalupe Center’s Tutor Corps Program has been helping Immokalee high school students prepare for and enter colleges and universities all over the country. They have been awarded an incredible $2.7 million in scholarships and 94% of the students who enter college have graduated. Tutor Corps is successful because of countless volunteers who, like the Blankley’s, invest time, energy, and resources in the belief that education is the great equalizer that opens the doors of opportunity for all.

The Blankley’s are proud to be the impetus of bringing about educational opportunities to programs like Tutor Corps, and are thankful that their gifts are helping a generation of Immokalee students achieve their dreams. "Students now need more help than we needed," Rosemary says of her reasons for giving. "Education is essential to making a life for yourself."