Lakeland College has a reputation of providing generous financial aid to the majority of its students, guaranteeing a quality education to many whom otherwise wouldn’t have had the opportunity—but, does anyone ever stop to consider where that money comes from?
Much of the college’s aid is donated by generous individuals, programs, and companies with a love for education or a great respect for Lakeland’s values and mission. The Quality State Oil Company is the latest addition to Lakeland’s list of generous friends, providing the college with a three-year $10,000 grant through the BP Fueling Communities Program. As of Jan. 15, they awarded Lakeland with $3,250, which constitutes the second installment of the grant.
“The Quality State Oil gift came through a grant from BP Amoco,” said Director of Major and Planned Gifts Stuart Merritt. “It went into the Sesquicentennial Scholarship fund of the Sesquicentennial Campaign to provide scholarships for Lakeland students—basically, into the school’s general scholarship endowment fund.”
The college’s Sesquicentennial Campaign is a three-year $7.0 million campaign whose first year focused on funding campus renovations but plans to dedicate the next two to the Sesquicentennial Scholars Program, which will provide $3.1 million in need-based scholarships to qualified students.
Fueling Communities is a charitable grant program that makes multi-year commitments to deserving local organizations in order to invest in and support the goodwill and effort of such establishments and their individuals. These organizations are nominated by BP Branded Marketers, such as the Quality State Oil Company, and must display impeccable dedication to health, education, youth, food, or housing efforts.
The grant came to fruition through the efforts of Quality State Oil Company President Greg Bultman and Wholesale Marketing Manager Scott Stangel. Quality State is a BP distributor based in Sheboygan with offices in Sturgeon Bay, Cedarburg, and Casco.
According to its website, the company is a full-line petroleum distributor. In fact, Quality State is a preferred branded distributor for BP, CITGO EXXON, and MOBIL fuel brands. Additionally, Q Mart Marketplace is a wholly owned subsidiary of the company.
Aside from their support of Lakeland College, Quality State and Q Mart also invest in and volunteer time to a variety of charities and organizations, their chosen focus being on the efforts of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Recent involvement includes “The 2012 Quality State Oil/CITGO MDA Golf Challenge,” “The MDA Shamrocks Against Dystrophy Fund Raiser,” and “The JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes.”
Learning about the individuals, companies, and programs that contribute to Lakeland College and the welfare of its students can be a rewarding experience, allowing the campus community to express its sincere gratification whenever possible.
For more information on Quality State Oil and its chosen charities or to learn more about the BP Fueling Communities Program, please visit their respective websites at www.qualitystateoil.biz/ and mybpstation.com/little-things-for-you/fueling-communities.