Indiana State University is proud to announce the creation of the Sycamore Success Scholarship Fund, a new strategic initiative by President Mike Godard designed to support incoming freshmen. The Sycamore Success Scholarship will be available to deserving students who have not received another significant scholarship at Indiana State.
Indiana State alumna and dedicated community member Jo Einstandig has stepped forward to make the lead gift to the new Sycamore Success Scholarship Fund, which will support efforts to increase freshman enrollment at Indiana State University.
The state of Indiana has been impacted by the enrollment decline, with studies showing that Indiana now has a college-going rate of 53%. This number is 12% lower than Indiana’s college-going rate five years ago. With the help of donors like Jo Einstandig supporting the Sycamore Success Scholarship Fund, the University hopes to increase the yield of admitted students each year.
"We are incredibly grateful to Jo Einstandig for her generosity and enduring commitment to Indiana State University,” shared President Godard. “The Sycamore Success Scholarship Fund will provide much-needed support to our students. With the help of donors like Jo, we are investing in the future of our university and ensuring that more young people can realize their full potential at Indiana State University.”
Einstandig is a two-time alumna of Indiana State University. After graduating with her bachelor’s degree in business education in 1961, she returned to campus to pursue her master’s degree in the same discipline and graduated from the program in 1967.
“As a Terre Haute native and proud alumna, I have seen the university grow and advance to become the incredible institution it is today,” said Einstandig. “My hope with the Sycamore Success Scholarship is that more students will have the resources to be able to seize the opportunity of learning and honing their career skills at Indiana State.”
Upon completing her education, Einstandig worked in several capacities, including with the Vigo County School Corporation and as vice president of various companies for over 20 years. She has consistently shown her commitment to her alma mater by serving as a director of the ISU Foundation Board and co-founding Ladies Tee, a group that assisted in fundraising for female student-athletes at Indiana State.
Her support expands far beyond campus engagement, as she has been heavily involved in the Terre Haute community through organizations such as the Union Health Foundation, Delta Gamma Sorority, Wabash Valley Community Education, 100+ Women Who Care, and the United Hebrew Congregation Board.
The establishment of the Sycamore Success Scholarship Fund will be an integral element in increasing the number of admitted students at Indiana State each academic year. President Godard and the University Advancement team will prioritize this fund.
“Jo has been a longtime friend and advocate of Indiana State with a bold belief in our mission,” said Andrea Angel, Vice President of the Division of University Advancement and CEO of the Indiana State University Foundation. “Support from donors like Jo bolsters us to continue paving a path toward accessible and high-quality education for students each year at our institution. I am excited to focus on this initiative as President Godard’s vision continues to formulate for the betterment of Indiana State University in the last year of the Be So BOLD campaign.”
For more information about the Be So BOLD campaign or to make a gift to the Sycamore Success Scholarship Fund, visit www.besoboldisu.com.