The contributions and dedication of Ball State University alumna Rebecca Reichert will not be forgotten within the music education department. Through the efforts of faculty members, her family, the rock band the Goo Goo Dolls and Reichert herself,, a sustainable legacy fund has been established in Reichert's name, said Kimberly Inks, Reichert's life-long friend and associate professor of music.
Reichert died of cancer in October 2006.
Various fundraising efforts have led to an accumulation of $117,027 in the scholarship fund. Inks said about $60,000 came from a benefit concert sponsored by the Goo Goo Dolls in December 2006, a spaghetti dinner in Reichert's hometown of Mentor, Ohio, brought in approximately $23,000 and the rest of the money came from private donations.
"People were willing to donate in Rebecca's name and didn't even know her; they just knew her story," Inks said.
The search for scholarship applicants began Thursday, Inks said. Applicants must be a junior music education major with a grade point average of 3.0 or above, she said. Preference will be given to students pursuing a vocal general major, but anyone can apply. The initial scholarship will be for $1,000 because the faculty members in charge of the scholarship were uncertain how much money would be available at this point in the fundraising process, Inks said.
Subsequent scholarships will pay either half or full tuition for the recipient, she said.
Before her death, Reichert assisted in the writing of the scholarship criteria to ensure the recipient would contain the character attributes she felt were important, Inks said.
Academic merit is the sole basis of the scholarship, Janet Reichert, Rebecca Reichert's mother, said.
"[Rebecca] wanted the student to be established as a hard worker and motivated, a person that wanted to teach, not a performer with a teaching back-up plan," Janet Reichert said in a previous interview.
Janet Reichert said the family will assist in the selection of the candidates and be present at the convocation in April announcing the recipient.
"We had planned from the beginning to attend," Janet Reichert said.
Originally, Rebecca Reichert was going to hand out the first scholarship, however, the cancer rapidly spread throughout her body and prevented that from happening, she said.
Rebecca Reichert's family will hopefully be involved in the selection of the candidates throughout the duration of the scholarship, Inks said.
Rebecca Reichert actively participated in University Singers and Ball State's chapters of Music Educators National Conference and the American Choral Director's Association.
"She had this work ethic that I think all of the faculty recognized," Inks said in a previous interview. "She was always working. She was very influential among her peers, as far as she always had a positive attitude, she had a great personality, she was really enthusiastic ... the list goes on."
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