100% Realty Funds Ethics Scholarship

03/21/2005

It was a chance conversation that Dave and Donna Krahenbuhl had with Don and Kay Litke of Niceville that paved the way for a new scholarship to be established through the OWC Foundation.

"Don and Kay Litke were so proud of their scholarship and how it helps students that they convinced me to do the same," said Dave Krahenbuhl, a shareholder and director with his wife Donna, Rob Davis and Charles Licari in the Mary Esther-based 100% Realty Inc.

"When I told the other partners at 100% Realty about the program, we all agreed it was something we wanted to do," said Krahenbuhl. "Then we learned about the Ethics in Business Matching Program and how it would double our scholarship investment."

After seeing their $2,000 contribution grow the 100% Realty Scholarship Fund to $4,000, Licari said, "I think this is something we might be able to do every year. That's a great way to double your money and help students at the same time. Who knows? If this works out well, we might be able to do an endowment in the future."

OWC Foundation president Dale Rice Jr. said the college is grateful to Don and Kay Litke of Niceville for "planting the seed about their own scholarship experience. We appreciate the contribution by 100% Realty Inc. for starting its own Ethics in Business Scholarship."

Rice explained that special matching funds for the Ethics in Business Scholarship Program come from earnings of a grant award to the Foundation for Florida Community Colleges that grew from a court case brought by the state's Department of Insurance Regulation. "The settlement requires the funds be used for ethics education and each year the 28 community colleges are allocated an amount to match with private dollars," Rice said.

According to Rice, the 100% Percent Realty Ethics in Business Scholarship becomes the sixth such scholarship funded under the program by private donations. The other ethics scholarships include two Shavey Family Scholarships, the Destin Rotary Club Scholarship, the First City Bank Scholarship and the Dr. James Langston/First City Bank Scholarship.

Rice said the tuition awards vary from $500 to $1,000 a year, but one requirement is that each recipient agrees to complete the college's Ethics in Business coursework during their time at O-W. The first 100% Realty Scholarship will be presented later this year.