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What the Foundation does for Pierce College

Through the gifts of friends and donors, the Foundation provides:

• scholarships,
• state-of-the-art instructional equipment,
• building construction,
• landscaping projects,
• staff and faculty awards, and
• faculty professional development.

See Foundation support to the District.

Support for students

In 2007, the Foundation raised $149,000 in scholarship gifts, making a life-changing difference for the 120 students who were recipients. In all there were 200 quarters of tuition given through 30 different scholarship programs.

Support for faculty and staff

The Exceptional Faculty Endowment
The Exceptional Faculty Endowment will generate income forever for outstanding faculty members. The first award was made in Spring 2007.

Faculty Achievement Award

ESL Instructor Jon Kerr is the recipient of the 2005 Faculty Achievement Award. Kerr was honored with the award and a check for $1000 at this year’s Employee Recognition Day on April 15.

The Faculty Achievement Award was established by Puget Sound Energy and is awarded through the Pierce College Foundation annually to acknowledge and honor a faculty member who meets the following criteria:

• demonstrated teaching excellence
• high academic standards
• active participation in college and community activities
• a commitment to professional growth and development
• creativity in curriculum development

Kerr was nominated for his significant contributions to teaching and learning at Pierce. He has been described as positive, encouraging, tremendously organized, well–spoken and dedicated to helping students. One faculty member said, “There is hardly a person more deserving of the honor.”

The following are some comments about Kerr from his level 1 and 2 ESL students:
“Jon’s kind”
“We need more teacher like Mr. Jon M. Kerr.”
“The teacher knows what he is teaching and helps us to find an application for what we are learning.”

A former ESL student sent Kerr this email message: “Hello Teacher, I want to share with you, my big happiness, because in the morning, when I went to Pierce College, first time, I used my knowledge in English and I could speak in the class. I could make all questions (verb to be, action verb). My classmates had a lot of mistakes. I was perfect because I had a lot of best knowledge. You can be proud.”

Not only is Kerr respected by students, he is well-liked by the faculty and considered to be a great leader. “Those who have worked with him for any length of time have seen his deep passion for helping students achieve their goals and dreams; they have witnessed his determination to deliver services (Pierce College ESL Classes) to as many students as possible; they have marveled at his classroom methods and administrative and organizational talents as well,” said a faculty member.  

The annual Faculty Achievement Award was instituted in 1987. The honoree is nominated by administrators and faculty and selected by the president. Puget Sound Energy sponsors the award as an educational improvement grant to selected colleges in communities served by Puget Sound Energy.

Previous Faculty Achievement Awards

Year	Faculty Member
2007	Sharon Golightly
2006	Greg Brazell
2005	Jon Kerr
2004	Karen Harding
2003	Sandy Lewis
2002	Terry Teeple
2001	Leslie Watts
2000	Bob Mohrbacher
1999	Karen Colleran
1998	Donna Pagoria
1997	Linda Saarela
1996	Deb Falcioni
1995	Doug Jensen
1994	Linda Strever
1993	Dr. Tom Schillar
1992	Dr. Jere Knudtsen
1991	Jean Murphy
1990	Nancy Barker & Tom Jepsen
1989	Barry Boyer
1988	Mary Kay Brown
1987	Jan Halverson