The McLoughlin Family Foundation was so impressed with what Southwestern Michigan College did with their $50,000 gift three years ago for a classroom in the school’s new Nursing & Health Education Building that they are kicking in another major gift in the form of a scholarship for nursing majors beginning in the fall of 2021.
Emily McLoughlin from the McLoughlin Family Foundation says that when Nathan Swords, who serves as SMC’s Director of Development invited the family to tour the finished facility, including the Karen K. Rose Simulation Lab which is equipped with high-tech programmable mannequins that mimic all sorts of challenging scenarios, “We were so pleased with how it turned out, that when we got back we started discussing doing more.”
The result is Southwestern Michigan College’s new McLoughlin Family Scholarship which will be awarded to nursing majors through an endowment of a second $50,000 gift to the college.
SMC’s new Nursing and Health Education Building celebrated its opening in January of 2019, providing a $9.6-million expansion which more than doubled the 1970 building from 12,000 to 29,000 square feet.
Regarding the new endowment, SMC Foundation President Dr. Carole Schmidt says, “This is an extremely generous donation, for which we are grateful,” and adds, “It will provide long-term assistance for numerous students. The McLoughlin Foundation frequently responds to the needs of our community.”
In selecting scholarship recipients, preference will be given to spouses or children of employees of K&M Machine-Fabricating Inc. in Cassopolis.
Emily and her sister-in-law, Beth McLoughlin, visited SMC’s Dowagiac campus on May 8, 2018, to receive the Cass County Youth Council Flame Keeper Award.
The Flame Keeper honors a person or organization whose work significantly impacts children and families. The foundation’s main goal is bolstering local charities that fall outside the reach of larger national organizations.
McLoughlin’s signature event, the Great Start program, allows children from Dowagiac and Cassopolis elementary schools to spend $200 each on back-to-school clothes, shoes, backpacks and books during a private Target shopping spree.
The first Great Start in 2007 invited 100 youngsters and had almost doubled in size after 10 years.
The foundation has also supported Big Brothers Big Sisters of Berrien and Cass County; Lory’s Place; The Children’s Advocacy of SW Michigan; and has offered financial support for private tutoring, laptops, summer camp and extra-curricular activities such as sports for foster children in Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) not covered by DHS, Medicaid or other resources.
A framed legislative tribute signed by Congressman Fred Upton, Michigan’s governor and Cass County’s state senator and state representatives says it all in noting, “To be sure, the McLoughlin Family Foundation has truly impacted the lives of children in our community to make sure they have a healthy future and a strong community to support them.”
The foundation has also provided financial support for the Council on Aging’s Meals-on-Wheels program and the Underground Railroad Society’s Bonine house restoration to insure indirectly that the community children live in continues to thrive.
SMC’s foundation accepts contributions to existing scholarships in addition to establishing new scholarships. You can direct donations to: SMC Foundation, Director of Development, 58900 Cherry Grove Road, Dowagiac, MI 49047, or you can contact Nate Swords at (269) 782-1301 or nswords@swmich.edu for more information.
