“This is a dynamic and rewarding organization where members can join with other women within their local circle to pool their financial resources to make a really great impact,” said Kelly Karickhoff. “Membership is open to any women who wish to be part of this great effort.”
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More than 60 members of the Kokomo chapter of Ivy Tech Community College’s Circle of Ivy celebrated spring and their commitment to the College’s students at a festive dinner recently in Hingst Hall on the Ivy Tech Kokomo Campus. For the 2022-23 school year, the organization raised $16,244 to fund five projects designed to break down barriers to higher education and help Ivy Tech students succeed.
The 116 members of the Kokomo, Logansport, Peru, Rochester, Tipton and Winamac Circle of Ivy joined forces to help students in Cass, Fulton, Howard, Miami, Pulaski and Tipton counties served by the College’s Kokomo Service Area.
Kelly Karickhoff, executive director of resource development for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area, noted the Kokomo Circle is the largest among the 19 campuses in the state. “We are so very proud of the support provided by women throughout our six counties,” she said. “Since the Circle of Ivy was created in 2016, our circle has grown from 60 members in 2016 to the total of 113 today. Throughout the last seven years, our group of philanthropic women has raised a total $89,489 to help our students.”
Karickhoff recognized two of the women as lifetime members, Jean Cole of Logansport and Dr. Cecelia Powless of Kokomo.
In the 2022-23 school year, the organization funded five projects:
- Cash for Completers, a program that helps high school students finish college credentials before graduation.
- The Hispanic/Latinx Education Coalition, a program that supports often-first-generation students of Hispanic descent.
- Castle Branch Record Portal, a project that helps cover mandatory professional registration costs for nursing and healthcare students.
- Fund-A-Friday, funding that supports enrichment activities for students in the accelerated ASAP program at Ivy Tech Kokomo and Logansport.
- New Beginnings, a program that covered the cost of providing forklift training to offer second-chance employment opportunities to women at the Gilead House.
Additional funding was provided to support the Giving Shelf, a program that offers food pantries and basic supplies to meet student needs on both the Kokomo and Logansport campuses.
Nancy Rhodes emceed the event and kept things lively with a multitude of door prizes. Rhodes, a retired nurse from Logansport who has long supported Ivy Tech, represents the Kokomo Service Area at the state level as a director on the Ivy Tech Foundation and on the Circle of Ivy Guiding Circle. The evening ended with heartfelt impromptu remarks from a Circle of Ivy member describing the vital impact of the support she received from projects funded by the Circle in her long and successful journey to an associate degree at ivy Tech.
Karickhoff said the Circle of Ivy is open to all women who wish to become members of a powerful network of philanthropists who collectively give back to local Ivy Tech campuses and students.
“This is a dynamic and rewarding organization where members can join with other women within their local circle to pool their financial resources to make a really great impact,” she said. “Membership is open to any women who wish to be part of this great effort.”
To learn more about Circle of Ivy or to join for the 2023-24 school year, visit giving.ivytech.edu/circle-of-ivy/ or contact Karickhoff at kkarickhoff@ivytech.edu or call 765-252-5501. The membership drive extends through June 30.
About Ivy Tech Community College
Ivy Tech Community College is Indiana's largest public postsecondary institution and the nation's largest singly accredited statewide community college system, accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana and also serves thousands of students annually online. It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering associate degrees, long- and short-term certificate programs, industry certifications, and training that aligns with the needs of the community. The College provides a seamless transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana, as well as out of state, for a more affordable route to a bachelor's degree.
