Beth Bowers ’79

Elizabethtown College alumna Beth Bowers ’79 has been a longtime supporter of her alma mater and many of its fundraising initiatives. So when she was presented with the opportunity to create a scholarship through Etown’s Million Dollar Match initiative, she jumped at the chance.

The Million Dollar Match is the most significant fundraising match in the College’s history, offering the opportunity for 20 first-time endowed scholarship donors to build a lasting legacy and open doors to higher education for future generations of Etown students. Utilizing a $500,000 challenge fund, Etown will match new $25,000 scholarship commitments to create $1 million in funding to support student scholarships.

Bowers was the first donor to capitalize on this remarkable matching opportunity. The Beth Bowers ’79 Scholarship will support students who are majoring in Exercise Science.

“Obviously, there are various ways to give back to the College, but the scholarship really allowed me to go beyond just supporting the Annual Fund and other giving opportunities,” Bowers said. “It feels like a more personal connection and saying, ‘Hey, I’m making a difference for these particular students.’”

Bowers said it was the dollar-for-dollar matching opportunity that really resonated with her. “It really is a way to make (the scholarship support) go further,” she said. “I saw this as an opportunity to begin something that I could build upon as time goes by.”

Bowers, who majored in Business Administration at Etown and retired last year as Senior Vice President – Commercial Closing Services at Fulton Bank, was a member of Etown’s varsity field hockey and softball teams. She noted that athletics was very important to her from an early age, and she wanted her scholarship to focus on supporting that area, hence the focus on the Exercise Science major.

“My past involvement in sports really helped build some qualities that I think made me more successful in navigating my career – things like building trust, communication, finding the strengths in different team members,” Bowers said. “Since Etown is an NCAA Division III school and can’t provide athletic scholarships per se, I wanted to support a major that relates to physical activity, nutrition, and those things tied to sports and athletics.”

Her Etown experience was defined by relationships, especially those with her teammates, classmates, coaches, and staff. Etown’s founding values and Educate for Service motto provided her with a strong foundation throughout her life and career that reinforced the importance of giving back to the community.

“I absolutely would encourage others to participate in the Million Dollar Match,” Bowers said. “This matching opportunity really allows your contribution to go further and provide some ongoing financial support, and it allows students who might not have an opportunity to really benefit from the Etown experience.”

To learn more about the Million Dollar Match or to secure your match, visit etown.edu/giving or contact IA@etown.edu.