Two New Scholarship Endowments Established

Gary D. and Susan G. Campbell Walk-on Athlete Scholarship Endowment - This new scholarship endowment, established by Gary and Susan Campbell in honor of Steve Minor, Jim Brik, and Leo McKillip, will provide support to any Idaho State University walk-on athlete in good academic standing. “It’s my hope that this scholarship will financially assist walk-on, diamond-in-the-rough athletes with opportunities to participate, learn, grow, prosper and give back to their communities,” said Gary Campbell.

“This gift from the Campbells is especially meaningful,” said Pauline Thiros, Director of Athletics at Idaho State University. “We invest in our walk-on student athletes in the same manner as every student athlete on a scholarship, and they contribute at high levels to our programs. We could not be successful if not for students who take a leap of faith to become Bengals. I want them to know that as they grow and excel, there is a mechanism which allows our department the means to reward their effort. [This will be] a special way to inspire and support student-athletes who choose Idaho State as the place where they can achieve their aspirations. As a former walk-on, this resonates deeply with me, and Bengal Athletics could not be more appreciative of this investment.”

Michael Mather Scholarship Endowment - The Michael Mather Scholarship Endowment will benefit junior- or senior-level students majoring in accounting who have a GPA of 3.0 and above and are Idaho residents. Originally from Boise, Mather spent four and a half years in Pocatello attending Idaho State University as an accounting student, and three years in Seattle working for the Washington State Convention and Trade Center. In between his studies at Idaho State, he played basketball and varsity tennis and joined the business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi.

After graduation, Mather was hired by Ernst & Ernst, a CPA firm in Boise, and obtained his CPA license to have a career in financial management, where he would spend the next six years working as a CPA. After that, he spent many years working at various companies, with his last place of employment at Boise State University as the Director of Finance for Advancement.

“Having seen the positive effect some financial help can have for students while working in advancement, I just thought this was a very positive thing that I would do,” said Mather. “I know that the costs of higher education are so high now as compared to the time I got my degree,” he said. “I am a strong believer that the time and effort put into getting a degree is the best and most productive thing a person can do for themself. A little help in getting their degree will cut down on worries and stress about having to work more and study less.”