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<\/a>Paul & Cynthia have established the Paul and Cynthia Pearce Open Doors Scholarship. A $500 scholarship Paul received during his senior year at Penn State inspired their generosity.<\/p><\/div>\n
Paul W. Pearce, a 1962 Penn State Smeal College of Business<\/a> alumnus, said that a $500 scholarship he received his senior year was \u201cmanna from heaven.\u201d<\/p>\n That scholarship was the inspiration behind a generous gift from Paul and his wife, Cynthia, last year to create the Paul and Cynthia Pearce Open Doors Scholarship in the Smeal College of Business. Their gift created the largest Open Doors Scholarship<\/a> to benefit Smeal students in \u201cA Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,\u201d the University\u2019s current fundraising campaign. \u201cAccess to an affordable education is one of our highest priorities, and I am grateful for the Pearces\u2019 gift,\u201d said Charles H. Whiteman, the John and Becky Surma Dean. \u201cTheir Open Doors Scholarship will help our students, particularly those who face unexpected hardships late in their business program, to focus on their studies and complete their degree.\u201d<\/p>\n Paul started working on a neighbor\u2019s farm and learned to love operating heavy equipment when he was just 10 years old. But an uncle, Dale Pearce,<\/a> a Penn State Education Administration alumnus, helped Paul see the advantages of a college education. He chose Penn State because he wanted to fly airplanes for a living. Penn State\u2019s Air Force ROTC<\/a> program had a senior-year option that offered the education and opportunities to make that dream a reality, while a business education provided a \u201cbackup in case that didn\u2019t work out.\u201d<\/p>\n As a first-generation college student from a working-class family, Paul said he helped pay for college by working as a painter and in a steel mill in addition to an on-campus job in the dining hall. He met his wife, Cynthia, while working in the dining hall during his junior year. Paul graduated, received his Air Force commission, and married Cynthia at Eisenhower Chapel<\/a> all on the same day.<\/p>\n Penn State’s Cynthia left Penn State one term short of completing her degree. \u201cBetter to marry Paul and start our adventure together,\u201d she said. Paul flew B-52s in Texas, Guam, and New York before beginning his career with National Airlines. Pan American purchased National Airlines in 1980. The European routes and Airbuses he flew were subsequently sold to Delta Airlines.<\/a> Previously, the couple created the Dr. John Coyle Early Career Professorship in Supply Chain, a position currently held by Dr. Yue Zhang. Through their estate, they have made provisions to elevate the position to a full professorship. The Paul and Cynthia Pearce Open Doors Scholarship will benefit students enrolled in the University\u2019s Complete Penn State program. This structured program provides counseling and support, including scholarship support, to students who are identified as at risk of not graduating due to unexpected hardship, such as a parent\u2019s illness or job loss.<\/p>\n The $500 scholarship Paul received his senior year allowed him to complete his Penn State degree without incurring any debt. \u201cI look at the debt students are graduating with these days and I just can\u2019t imagine that,\u201d Paul said. \u201cKnowing somebody else is getting an opportunity that they weren\u2019t expecting and that they really need is so rewarding for us.\u201d<\/p>\n Together, Paul and Cynthia<\/a> have raised two sons and traveled the world. \u201cBut we think you just need to realize where everything came from and give back, and that\u2019s what we want to do,\u201d they said. The Pearces also support students at other universities, as well as a number of charities in their local community. They share the philosophy that \u201cyou can\u2019t take it with you.\u201d \u201cIf you can say we gave back more than we got, that would be a good legacy,\u201d Paul said.<\/p>\n Last revised 2\/3\/20<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" from the newsletter of Penn State’s Smeal College of Business 1\/30\/20 edited by Larry Pearce, brother 2\/3\/20 Paul W. Pearce, a 1962 Penn State Smeal College of Business alumnus, said that a $500 scholarship he received his senior year was … Continue reading <\/a>
Eisenhower Chapel<\/p><\/div>\n<\/a> Paul spent 30 years as an airline pilot before retiring in 1997. For Cynthia, volunteering became a way of life, leaving her \u201cfree for sudden dinners in Madrid or Geneva.\u201d Among her volunteer roles, she\u2019s worked in the classroom, in museums, on an ambulance squad, and at the hospital<\/a> that twice saved her life.<\/a>When Hurricane Rita struck in 2005, Paul and Cynthia packed their bags and spent a month in Texas volunteering for the American Red Cross.<\/a> The Pearces are always searching for another place to help\u2014including the university they love. While Cynthia joked that she and Paul love Penn State because they have great ice cream, she was quick to share just how much Penn State has given them and that giving back to Penn State feels natural.<\/p>\n