Yarnall Contributes Land, Cash To Grow McDonald Scholarship

03/03/2003

To Joy Yarnall's way of thinking there is no substitute for education. That's why you might say the former English instructor at OWCC doubled her efforts to make the scholarship endowment she started a year ago a reality for a student this year.

It is a selfless act by Yarnall who last year contributed funds to establish the Thomas Gordon McDonald Scholarship Endowment with the OWCC Foundation in memory of the late World War II and Vietnam War veteran and local homebuilder.

Earlier this year, Yarnall donated a parcel of land near Mossy Head to the OWCC Foundation and earmarked the proceeds of the sale of the property for the McDonald Scholarship. With the land valued at $6,000, Yarnall avoids any capital gains tax on the property in addition to getting a charitable tax deduction for the gift.

But, once again, a tax write-off wasn't what Yarnall was concerned about at the moment. Realizing it might take a few months to sell the parcel and have funds to award a scholarship, Yarnall in June donated $10,000 and directed that a portion be set aside from the endowment "so that a student can receive a McDonald Scholarship this year."

Earlier, Yarnell told Outlook, "Mr. McDonald was interested in helping young people and was generous with people who were less fortunate. Yarnall's urgency to have the scholarship ready to award for fall is so individuals returning to college after having been in the workforce might have an opportunity for an education.

"I can remember the many students who could see that education was a way to improve their lives after being out of school for a number of years," said Yarnall, who retired from OWCC several years ago and now lives in North Carolina. In the letter accompanying her recent gift, Yarnall also wrote she couldn't wait to see the college's new library and Learning Resource Center.

Dr. Bob Richburg, OWCC president, said the foundation already is seeking candidates to meet Yarnall's wish that a student receive the financial assistance this year. "I just think it's tremendous that one of our former faculty members has made such a positive gesture to assist students," said Richburg. "Joy Yarnall still cares about students, not the mention her contributions to make the McDonald Scholarship a reality."

If the state continue to fund the matching program, Yarnall's gifts will double in value, potentially allowing two McDonald Scholarships to be awarded in the in the future.