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Preston Herring's legacy: Two BU scholarships

BLOOMSBURG — The memory of Preston Herring will live on at Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania in two scholarships that bear his name.

Herring, BU's vice president for university and student affairs for 15 years, died in July following a long battle with cancer. His widow, Virginia; son, Bryce; and daughter, Ashleigh Spiegel, along with BU President David Soltz and former BU President Jessica S. Kozloff, announced the two annual awards before BU's homecoming football game Saturday, Oct. 17.

They are:
• The H. Preston Herring Student Affairs Scholarship for a student in the counseling/student affairs graduate program. To be eligible, a student must have a grade point average of 3.2 or higher and undergraduate leadership experience in student affairs.
• The H. Preston Herring Athletic Scholarship for a student athlete involved in any intercollegiate varsity sport. Applicants must have at least 30 credits and demonstrate integrity, strong academic commitment and leadership qualities.

Chris Keller, admissions director, said Herring understood the importance of scholarships to BU's students.

"He would be thrilled people are establishing these scholarships and he is able to help students," Keller said. "To me, Preston was both a mentor and a friend. I've never known anyone else like him."

"I don't think Preston realized how many lives he impacted - friends, professionals and the students he came in contact with," said Linda Sowash, director of residence life. "He was committed to the mission of student affairs, to offering positive experiences for students outside the classroom. He worked tirelessly to ensure that students were satisfied at their 'home away from home' with quality housing and campus dining. The greatest gift he gave many of us was his unwavering courage, determination and faith."

Mary Gardner, BU's athletic director, also spoke of Herring's dedication to students. "Those of us who worked closely with Preston will always remember him as a man who was totally selfless and committed to the students and staff he served. He was a mentor who guided many of us and supported numerous initiatives that will have a lasting impact on students who attend the university. I feel very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him for the past 15 years. He made a difference in the lives of those he touched."

The H. Preston Herring scholarships will be awarded for the first time for the 2010-2011 academic year.

Bloomsburg University is one of 14 universities in the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education. The university serves approximately 8,000 students, offering comprehensive programs of study in the colleges of Education, Business, Liberal Arts and Science and Technology.

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