Reynolds and Reynolds Company Foundation gives $240,000 to scholarship program for Wright State engineering students

The Reynolds and Reynolds Company Foundation has committed $240,000 in scholarships for the Reynolds and Reynolds Leadership Scholars Program at Wright State University for students entering the College of Engineering and Computer Science. The increased gift is in recognition of the success of the program, which was established in 2009 with a $100,000 gift from Reynolds and Reynolds. The gift was presented to the university Friday, January 14 during the Wright State men’s basketball game at the Wright State University Nutter Center.

“Attracting highly qualified students and keeping talent in the Dayton region are the goals of these scholarships,” said Jon Strawsburg, Foundation trustee and vice president of Product Planning at Reynolds and Reynolds. “We want to focus on those things that will have a lasting impact on our communities where Reynolds has a significant presence.”

“The Reynolds and Reynolds Leadership Scholars program is a critical component in helping Wright State attract the most outstanding students to our computer science and computer engineering programs,” said Mateen Rizki, Ph.D., interim chair, Computer Science and Engineering, Wright State University. “Reynolds and Reynolds is helping attract the next generation of computer scientists and information technology specialists to the Dayton region.”

In all, 34 students in Wright State’s engineering college will benefit from the scholarships.

Sophomore Matt Gaier, of Tipp City, received one of the scholarships in 2009 and is grateful to the Foundation.

“It has made it easier for me to afford college,” he said.

Gaier plans a career in computer administration and gained experience during an internship in PC support at Reynolds and Reynolds last summer.

Each scholarship recipient will receive a $2,500 annual scholarship award for up to four years, based on satisfactory academic progress. Eligibility requirements for the scholarship program include high standards for grade point average (GPA) and standardized college entrance exam scores. Wright State’s College of Engineering and Computer Science selects the recipients annually and manages the administrative aspects of the scholarship program.

“There is clearly a need for scholarships,” said Willie Daughters, a Foundation trustee and vice president of Quality Assurance and Software Support at Reynolds and Reynolds. “If we can impact the individual student and foster that kind of talent, it’s a benefit for the student, the university and the community.”

The gift from Reynolds and Reynolds dovetails with Wright State’s mission of transforming the communities it serves. It also demonstrates the company’s support of the Dayton region as one of its oldest and few remaining corporate citizens still headquartered in the area, during a time when corporate and foundation giving to education in the United States dropped 5.7 and 9.5 percent respectively, in 2009 compared to the previous year, according to the Council for Aid to Education.

“We’ve got a budding partnership here that can be an example for other companies,” said Nicole Case, director of Reynolds Web Solutions and a Foundation trustee. “Dayton as a community needs partnerships like this to help deal with the economic conditions we’ve been experiencing.”

The Foundation also has contributed $120,000 to establish the Reynolds and Reynolds Computer Center at Wright State’s Lake Campus in Celina. In addition, company executives and human resources personnel collaborate with Wright State’s Athletics Department to host life skills employment/resume review events for students. And the company coordinates closely with the engineering college on activities promoting engineering and technology education to local schools.

The Reynolds and Reynolds Leadership Scholars Program is made possible by The Reynolds and Reynolds Company Foundation, which primarily focuses on giving toward programs in higher education to prepare quality students for key roles in the regional communities where Reynolds has significant presence.