Kane family establishes scholarship

Kane natives Ken and Ann Kane have endowed a new scholarship to encourage students from their hometown to attend the university.

The Kane Family Scholarship has been more than 30 years in the making. When the Kanes were a young married couple, they moved back to their hometown.

Even before they had children of their own, they knew how important good education was going to be for their future family. Ken Kane ran for and was elected to the Kane Area School District Board of Directors, which he would serve on for 30 years, including eight years as president.

“We knew that the results of a school board's decisions aren't always seen right away,” Ken Kane said. “As a couple, we understood the importance of education not only to our family, but also to the community.”

Ken Kane is the president of Generations Forestry Inc. Consulting Foresters, after 30 years with Keith Horn Inc. Consulting Foresters. Ann Kane is a physical therapist at CARE for Children in Bradford.

Ken Kane's expertise in education and forestry led him to become a member of the Pitt-Bradford Advisory Board 10 years ago. As a member of the Advisory Board, he was interested in contributing to the university in a manner that would benefit local students.

“If you're going to contribute, you might as well make a difference,” the Kanes said.

When the Agnes L. and Lewis Lyle Thomas Scholarship Challenge was offered, they took advantage of an offer to match funds pledged toward scholarships. The challenge cut the minimum investment for an endowed scholarship from $10,000 to $5,000, which could be paid over five years -- $1,000 per year. Less than a hundred dollars a month.

Having sent their own five children to college, the Kanes are aware of the difficulties and challenges of paying for higher education.

“We struggled to educate our five children,” Ken Kane said. “We were very appreciative of any scholarships that our children received.  We are hopeful that the Kane Family Scholarship will help deserving students achieve their goal of a college education.”

The couple added, “We are fortunate to live in a rural area where students can obtain an education from a major university close to home.”

Preference for the scholarship goes to a student from the Kane Area School District who is involved in campus and community activities.

This year's recipient of the scholarship is Kammi Jones of Kane.

“I am very grateful to have received this scholarship,” Jones wrote to her benefactors. “I have learned so much in college, and I have had some great experiences. Thank you for believing in the students enough here at Pitt-Bradford to donate financially to its students.”

It is for students like Jones that the Kanes continue to add to their scholarship by about $500 each year, and they've found the perfect way to fund it. Each fall, Ken Kane teaches forestry to students in the environmental studies program and gives a portion of his teaching stipend back to the scholarship.

For more information on scholarships at Pitt-Bradford, contact the financial aid office at finaid@list.pitt.edu or 814-362-7550. For more information on starting or contributing to a scholarship, contact Jill Ballard, executive director of institutional advancement, at jballard@pitt.edu or 814-362-5091.