Geri Polvino: A Career in Giving, Continued

“Geri Polvino has always been a trailblazer.”

That was the opening line of a profile of Geri that BGCF released in the Fall 2019 issue of the BGCFyi Newsletter. Since that time, Geri and her generosity continue to bloom as her scholarship, the Dr. Geri Polvino, Russell, Josephine & Mary Family Scholarship, was recently awarded to a graduating Madison Central student, NancyAnna Webb.

When asked why it was important for her to establish this opportunity for young women in Fayette, Jessamine and Madison counties, Geri said, “Education saved me. I was an at-risk kid in New York, but I very much liked school. My parents gave my sister and me a choice: they could pay for a wedding or pay for college, but they couldn’t afford to do both. When I saw many of my friends were going to college, I chose that path and it changed me forever through the people I met, the choices I made and the opportunities I got to experience.”

Geri recognizes that times have changed since her journey through higher education. “I lived on campus with a meal plan and my tuition was only about $400 a  semester! Which may not seem like a hardship (especially considering the price of school now), but it was a hardship for my parents.”

Once she received her degree (the first of many), she was determined to pay her parents back for their investment in her future. However, before she could
do so, both of her parents and her sister passed away.

“I regret not being able to pay them back, but that was the inspiration to start this scholarship — to honor all three of them and pay their sacrifices forward to young women who need the same help I needed at one time,” said Geri.

Originally, the scholarship was going to be a legacy gift: a scholarship that would be put into place after Geri’s lifetime as a part of her estate plan. But with a little convincing and a lot of curiosity, Geri decided to take a more hands-on approach by reviewing the scholarship applications.

While rewarding, the process was bittersweet for Geri. “There were two things that caught me off guard. The first was the sadness in reviewing the students’ applications and realizing what they had gone through and the things they had accomplished despite those hardships,” said Geri. “The second was the fact that there are so little funds available to award in comparison to the sheer need of these young people and their families.”

While Geri felt the weight of the unmet needs facing these students, she also found inspiration in their resilience and dreams for the future. NancyAnna is a freshman at Eastern Kentucky University studying agribusiness. Though she is certain her love for animals will continue to guide her career path, receiving this scholarship has also granted her the peace of mind to explore other animal-related careers. Significantly, the scholarship award has given NancyAnna a new goal.

“I know Geri worked so hard for everything she has and I’m inspired by her story,” said NancyAnna. “I want to work hard too, so I can pay it forward and help future generations realize their dreams.”

Geri returned the sentiment by crediting NancyAnna with the inspiration for her new idea in relation to the scholarship. “NancyAnna said she wanted to be an entrepreneur, but often young people leaving college need help starting those businesses. My goal is to fund a $3 million scholarship, and then I hope we’ll have another $1 million for grants to young women who want to start their own business.”

Geri, a long-time financial advisor, has a word of wisdom to those who want to help the next generation of collegians: “I encourage everyone who can to start a
scholarship and fund a young person’s passion. The feeling you get from giving someone an opportunity to realize a dream…there is simply nothing like it.”

We’re here to help you realize your philanthropic dreams by establishing a scholarship or charitable legacy! Give our team a call at 859.225.3343.