CAMPUS NEWS
Resch’s gift for fine arts in tune with student needs at East, UW-Green Bay For Sharon Resch, a longtime love of music continues to inspire today. Resch (at right, above) was a successful professional dancer, also acting and choreographing from New York to L.A. before moving to Green Bay with her husband, KI CEO Dick Resch. A devoted community activist and philanthropist, Resch continues to support the fine arts. “It’s my life,” she says. “Every day when I get up, I turn on music — sometimes classical music, sometimes Broadway. It’s a beautiful day when I have music.” Beautiful, too, when Resch can share her passion. It’s why she serves on the board of Green Bay East High School’s Institute for Fine Arts. It also is why she recently began the Sharon J. Resch Endowed Scholarship for Fine Arts, which will help Institute students attend UW-Green Bay. At a school where nearly 7 in 10 students are economically disadvantaged, many could use the extra help. “At East High, we have so many children that are talented in the arts,” Resch says. “I just want them to be able to go on to college and pursue their passion.”
The scholarship is the latest effort helping fine arts students at East pursue their dreams. It started when Mary Frantz, now a Green Bay School Board member, and Beverly Carmichael, now UW-Green Bay’s Assistant Chancellor for University Advancement, raised funds for a sorely-needed new piano to replace the one that had been there since Frantz was a student. Their efforts snowballed into a variety of programs and initiatives, including the creation of East’s Fine Arts Advisory Board. The pathway from East to UW-Green Bay, with its respected Theatre and Dance program, is a natural one, Frantz said. The new scholarship will help ensure that more of them have the chance to make it there. “Sharon Resch has a heart of gold,” Frantz says. “When she decides to get involved, she makes an impact. She has brought her voice to this in a very unique way. And it’s my sense that she’s just getting started.” The Green Bay School District is grateful for the generosity and partnership of the Resch family, says Superintendent Michelle Langenfeld. “The arts play a critical role in the academic and social development for all students in the
Green Bay Area Public Schools, as we work to ensure that all students are college, career and community ready,” she says. “The East High Institute for the Fine Arts has become the district’s center where students can choose to advance their passion for the arts. Through the Resch Scholarship, our students will be supported as they advance their studies in the arts beyond high school graduation.” Posing recently on East’s auditorium stage alongside a Steinway baby grand purchased by the donors are, from left, Mary Frantz, Michelle Langenfeld and Sharon Resch.
“At East High, we have so many children that are talented in the arts,” Resch says. “I just want them to be able to go on to college and pursue their passion.” May 2013 • INSIDE 360° • UWGB
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