The Central Alabama Community Foundation (CACF) on Wednesday, May 8, 2019, awarded the Fran Kay Schwaiger Scholarship to a deserving student at Cullman High School. The scholarship was created in honor of Cullman, Alabama, native Fran Kay Schwaiger Weiss.
Fran Kay Schwaiger Weiss is a graduate of Cullman High School and Vanderbilt University. As a scholarship recipient herself, she knows personally how the kindness of strangers can change one’s life.
“I graduated from Cullman High School in 1975 and received a full scholarship to Vanderbilt Engineering School, and this literally changed my life,” said Fran. “Having an engineering degree, or any degree in STEM, opens so many doors of opportunity for a meaningful and well compensated career. After short stints at Procter & Gamble and the Memphis VA Hospital, I completed a very successful 31-year career as an industrial engineer at FedEx and was able to retire at 55 years old.”
The fund will annually award one scholarship to a graduating senior of any public or private high school located in Cullman County with a minimum 3.0 GPA who is planning to attend an accredited four-year college or university who has shown aptitude and intends to pursue a course of study in science, technology, engineering or mathematics.
This year’s recipient has been described as resolute, focused, eager to learn, intelligent, and in possession of a teachable spirit. The 2019 recipient of the Fran Kay Schwaiger Scholarship is Lillimae Allen.
For over 30 years, the Central Alabama Community Foundation has been a valued community partner and resource for nonprofits and students in the River Region and Wiregrass. Through the generous support of individual and corporate donors, the foundation provides over $5 million in grants and scholarships each year that meet diverse community needs, supporting programs and projects in education, human services, health, cultural arts and other civic concerns. Our mission is to create a better quality of life for those who live and work in the River Region.
CACF serves several counties including Autauga, Coffee, Dale, Elmore, Geneva, Henry, Houston, Lowndes, Macon, and Montgomery. Click on the logos above for information about our affiliates in Autauga, Elmore and the Wiregrass Region.