Spring 2020 Announcement
The Terry Foundation has made several adjustments in response to the recent public health crisis due to the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19).
First and foremost, we care about the safety and health of our employees, our current Scholars and alumni, and our scholarship candidates. We encourage everyone to follow the recommendations of the CDC regarding hand washing, social distancing and guidelines for group gatherings.
Spring 2020 Events
-
Terry Picnics
All spring Terry Picnics have been cancelled. Seniors will receive their gold pens by mail and will be given instructions for sharing their stories with the Terry Board of Directors and the broader Terry Community.
-
Alumni Activities
Terry Alumni chapters have cancelled all events through the end of April and will re-assess other events on a case-by-case basis and in accordance with guidelines provided by local public health officials.
2020-21 Scholarships
-
Traditional Scholarship
To do our part in support of social distancing, we are hosting our annual interview process for the Terry Traditional Scholarship 100% virtually. Almost 100 panelists are prepared to ensure that our 476 candidates from 13 universities will receive their Terry interview during the originally scheduled time frame.
-
Transfer Scholarship
As of March 17, 2020, the Terry Foundation’s Board of Directors has determined that we will not offer any new Transfer Scholarships for the 2020-2021 academic year. While we deeply regret having to take this action, it is a necessary step to ensure that the Foundation may continue awarding scholarships into perpetuity.
Our 1094 current Terry Scholars (Traditional and Transfer) should rest assured that all current scholarship commitments will be fully funded. There is no risk to funding for current Scholars.
Current Scholars
We recognize these are challenging and unprecedented times. Regardless, we expect all Scholars to finish the spring semester strong – taking care of yourself as well as your coursework. Your on-campus Terry resources are available to you via email (find info for all university contacts in the Scholar Handbook or HERE) and should be your first call, especially since the Scholar Relations Coordinators – Franco, Holly & Christen – are facilitating virtual interviews until April 7th.
Scholars should keep the Foundation updated with any changes in personal status and continue to adhere to funding and submission deadlines (May 1st deadline for summer funding; June 1st deadline for Outside Aid Review and Self-Evaluation Letters). Grade review will take place as usual following the conclusion of the spring semester. We ask you to do your best to ensure you are meeting Terry Scholarship continuation requirements.
We will miss seeing all of you and celebrating our seniors at this year’s Terry picnics! You will receive an email from your Terry Scholar Relations Coordinator by the end of April with specific links to submit your OAR and SEL. Between now and then, keep you and yours healthy and safe.
Alumni
We are in contact with our Terry Scholar Alumni Association (TSAA) chapters and are encouraging a review of all planned spring events on a case by case basis. Local chapters will make decisions on which events to cancel or postpone based on ongoing updates from public health officials. No matter where you are, you can help us welcome the new 2020 Terry Scholars and congratulate the 2020 Terry grads by submitting short video messages.
Contacting Staff
Terry staff are fully equipped to work from home. All staff are available via phone and email, as usual. Any phone messages will be responded to within 2 business days. Please be aware that we are facilitating traditional interviews from March 23 through April 7.
The Board and staff of the Terry Foundation are honored to carry Howard and Nancy Terry’s legacy into the future. We look forward to selecting our newest class of Terry Scholars in the coming weeks. We are proud of the strength and resilience of the Terry Scholars in our network. We send our encouragement to everyone in our community and to all those affected by the constantly developing situation before us. Show leadership by doing your part to keep your community safe. Be kind to yourself and be patient with others as everyone adjusts.
You all make us immensely proud.
Respectfully,
Yvonne Moody
President and Executive Director
Jodie Koszegi
Scholarship Program Director