NENJI YILPET | senior staff writer

Staff member uses recycling and change to make college a possibility for a future student.

“Little things matter. Just recycle your bottle or put your change in a change bottle. It will make a difference,” administrative assistant of special education department Ruthanne Kriechbaum said.

A scholarship endowment started by series coordinator Irma Nicola proves that little things do matter.

Nicola aims to raise a principle endowment of $25,000 toward a scholarship for an Azusa resident who will one day attend APU as an undergraduate. The money will be raised for the principle through recycling and pocket change by the year 2010.

Based on the interest from the endowment, the prospective student will receive money every year to help with school costs.

The principle of the endowment is never used toward the actual scholarship but it generates the funds for the scholarship, according to interim director of estate planning Dennette Miramontes.

Nicola was inspired to start this scholarship endowment after her father-in-law died last year in December 2006.

She did not know him very well, and after his death she was surprised by the testimonies people gave on how he mentored, clothed and fed others, even when he had very little.

“I was humbled at how active in giving he was and yet he was very low-key about his service,” Nicola said, “When he was growing up he would recycle glass bottles just to get money for food.”

In January 2006, Nicola started gathering donations. At first, she committed a lesser amount personally and then she solicited friends and began a penny jar.

Nicola and a few co-workers have a specific amount deducted from their paychecks every two weeks toward the endowment.

“As little as $10 a paycheck even makes a difference,” Nicola said.

Presently, the scholarship endowment has reached a total of $7,400. This is the result of recycling, change jars, pay deductions, and support from friends.

Kriechbaum became involved with the project last October. In her recent Creative and Collaborative Leadership class, her professor gave each student $100 to use toward a “Kingdom Project.”

Kriechbaum purchased a recycling container for $90 to place at the theater shows and also bought large change bottles and created a sign for Nicola’s office to display how much money has been collected.

“We have a responsibility to the community around us. Many students come to APU from neighboring cities, but we need to also recognize our responsibility to our Azusa community,” Kriechbaum said.

Two tall blue recycling containers have been placed in Heritage for the disposal of recyclable items. Engstrom and Adams now have large bottles in their lobbies for students’ spare change.

Miramontes works with scholarship endowments on a regular basis but she commented that she has never seen one based on using recycling and change to fundraise for it.

“I believe that, as a result of this effort, recycling will increase,” Nicola said. “At one event, we collected 75 bottles and turned them in for $10. Every bit counts.”