桑福德,N.C. - Many local students will have an easier time paying for their education at Central Carolina 社区 大学 thanks to the 伊丽莎白 Carrington O'Connell Scholarship, a new academic award established this spring.

Dr. Larry O'Connell, a retired optometrist and native of Sanford, created the endowed scholarship with a significant contribution to the 推荐正规买球平台 基金会. The award honors his late wife, who passed away in 2016 after a lengthy illness, and will be presented annually to a Lee County resident on the basis of academic achievement and need.

伊丽莎白, widely known as Liz, was an alumna of Sanford Central High School and Greensboro 大学, where she graduated in English, with a minor in history. Last year, Larry established a scholarship for 伊丽莎白 at Greensboro 大学. After college graduation, Liz taught middle grades in English and history, first in Wilmington and then in Virginia and Tennessee while she and Larry pursued his early career in textiles.

After Larry changed course and completed his Doctor of Optometry degree at Southern 大学 of Optometry in Memphis, they returned to Sanford, where Larry established a practice and Liz taught at what was then East Lee Junior High before leaving the teaching profession to assist with the optometric practice.

Scholarships like the one at 推荐正规买球平台 are a particularly appropriate way to honor Liz's legacy. Not only was she a teacher, but an avid reader -- Larry figures he's already given away hundreds of his wife's books and still has hundreds left -- and she would be happy that the money the couple managed to earn in life was going to help young people. She always wanted to have children, but was never able, Larry said.

"She cared nothing about monetary things," he said. "But she did care about family and she did care about children. She would be very happy to know that young people were benefitting."

In addition to helping students reach their academic and career goals, the endowment will enhance 学院 campus for everyone. As part of the endowment arrangement, the 推荐正规买球平台 基金会 will plant Kwanzan Japanese flowering cherry trees on campus.

That variety of cherry tree, which also lines the tidal pool in Washington, is one of Larry's favorite varieties. "Those are such beautiful trees that they remind me of her," he said. "Nobody will ever know what a beautiful person she was, but I'm doing everything I can to make sure she's never forgotten."

Dr. Emily Hare, Executive Director of the 推荐正规买球平台 基金会, thanked Dr. O'Connell for his financial contribution and for investing so much in students -- whether it was for members of his extended family, undergraduates studying in Greensboro or students at 推荐正规买球平台 who will now find it easier to reach their dreams.

"He is well known in the Sanford area for his generosity and we are thankful he is choosing to remember his sweet wife, 伊丽莎白, by honoring her through an endowment,野兔说。. "Beautiful cherry trees will be planted at the Lee County campus in her memory so that all students and staff can share in a bit of her sunshine."

The 推荐正规买球平台 基金会 is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization affiliated with, but independent of, 学院. It receives donations of money and equipment on behalf of 推荐正规买球平台 and uses them to promote the educational mission of 学院 and assist students through scholarships and grants.

For information on giving to the 推荐正规买球平台 基金会, contact Dr. 艾米丽C. Hare, Executive Director of the 推荐正规买球平台 基金会, 919-718-7230, or ehare@ospifse.net.