FALL 2024
BGCFyi A PROFILE IN GIVING
GERI POLVINO: A CAREER OF GIVING, CONTINUED “Geri Polvino has always been a trailblazer.” That was the opening line of a profile BGCF released in the Fall
2019 issue of the BGCFyi Newsletter. Since that time, Geri and her
generosity continue to bloom as her scholarship, the Dr. Geri Polvino, Russell, Josephine & Mary Family Scholarship, was recently awarded to a graduating Madison Central student, NancyAnna Webb.
When asked why it was important for her to establish this opportunity for young women in Fayette, Jessamine and Madison counties, Geri
said, “Education saved me. I was an at-risk kid in New York, but I very much liked school. My parents gave my sister and me a choice: they
could pay for a wedding or pay for college, but they couldn’t afford to
do both. When I saw many of my friends were going to college, I chose that path and it changed me forever through the people I met, the choices I made and the opportunities I got to experience.”
Geri recognizes that times have changed since her journey through
higher education. “I lived on campus with a meal plan and my tuition
was only about $400 a semester! Which may not seem like a hardship (especially considering the price of school now), but it was a hardship for my parents.”
Once she received her degree (the first of many), she was
determined to pay her parents
back for their investment in her
future. However, before she could
and the things they had accomplished despite those hardships,” said
Geri. “The second was the fact that there are so little funds available to
award in comparison to the sheer need of these young people and their families.”
While Geri felt the weight of the unmet needs facing these students,
she also found inspiration in their resilience and dreams for the future. NancyAnna is a freshman at Eastern Kentucky University studying
agribusiness. Though she is certain her love for animals will continue to guide her career path, receiving this scholarship has also granted her
the peace of mind to explore other animal-related careers. Significantly, the scholarship award has given NancyAnna a new goal.
“I know Geri worked so hard for everything she has and I’m inspired
by her story,” said NancyAnna. “I want to work hard too, so I can pay it forward and help future generations realize their dreams.”
Geri returned the sentiment by crediting NancyAnna with the inspiration for her new idea in relation to the scholarship. “NancyAnna said she
wanted to be an entrepreneur, but often young people leaving college need help starting those businesses. My goal is to fund a $3 million
scholarship, and then I hope we’ll have another $1 million for grants to young women who want to start their own business.”
do so, both of her parents and her
Geri, a long-time financial advisor, has a word of wisdom to those who
sister passed away.
want to help the next generation of collegians:
“I regret not being able to pay
“I encourage everyone who can to start a
them back, but that was the
inspiration to start this scholarship — to honor all three of them and
pay their sacrifices forward to young women who need the same help I needed at one time,” said Geri.
Originally, the scholarship was going to be a legacy gift: a scholarship
that would be put into place after Geri’s lifetime as a part of her estate plan. But with a little convincing and a lot of curiosity, Geri decided to take a more hands-on approach by reviewing the scholarship applications.
While rewarding, the process was bittersweet for Geri. “There were two things that caught me off guard. The first was the sadness in reviewing the students’ applications and realizing what they had gone through FALL 2024
scholarship and fund a young person’s passion. The feeling you get from giving someone an opportunity to realize a
We’re here to help you
nothing like it.”
dreams by establishing a
dream…there is simply
realize your philanthropic scholarship or charitable legacy! Give our team a call at 859.225.3343. Scan the QR code to read the 2019 profile on Geri.
BLUE GRASS COMMUNITY FOUNDATION