After the New Berlin (West) High School Class of 1970, 50th Reunion, the Reunion Committee was pleasantly surprised to find a surplus of funds. Thanks in part to the private and business donations from the alumni and those who attended the Reunion. Past reunions barely broke even and some class reunions found themselves in debt afterward. Then the question was raised, what do we do with the leftover funds? As most of us would be turning 70 soon, the prospect of another reunion on the scale of our 50th was slim.
The Committee wanted to do something special. After all, the Class of 1970 helped launch the first Earth Day. Sure we could have planted a bunch of trees, bought some benches, or donate the money to the New Berlin West general fund to use at their discretion. That was not impactful enough. We felt that we wanted to make a difference and give students a hand up. That is when the idea of creating a scholarship foundation was born. After researching the various programs we could have teamed up with, they all had drawbacks that did not meet our goals. Usually, it came down to administrative fees or that the recipients had to be from a regional or national pool of graduating seniors. Our goal is scholarships for graduates from New Berlin.
The New Berlin School District is well known for preparing students for college and having numerous opportunities for scholarships. There is a segment of the student population that doesn’t want to attend a four-year program for numerous reasons. They are looking at attending tech or trade schools.
In August of 2022, The New Berlin High Schools Alumni Foundation, Inc. became a reality and became a 501c3 nonprofit organization. The importance of that is that the Foundation can now accept tax-deductible donations. The officers were formally nominated and elected at the annual class picnic in August.
Scholarships will be awarded to New Berlin West and New Berlin Eisenhower seniors who will be enrolled in technical and apprentice programs through accredited schools. The total amount of scholarships will be based on the donations the Foundation receives. The Directors and Board Members are in volunteer positions and receive no salaries or benefits.
