Maureen Schab Education Fund expands scholarship program
The Schab family of Lewes - Bill Schab, Corey Schab and Kerry (Schab) Stahl - recently decided to significantly expand the scholarship program established in memory of their late wife and mother Maureen, who died in 2007.
Maureen taught junior high/middle school math in Maryland as well as Milton and Lewes, before leaving the classroom when Kerry was born. She still kept busy tutoring junior high kids at home and teaching karate to YMCA youngsters after earning her black belt. After Corey started school, she returned to the classroom, teaching math to junior high students in the Academic Challenge Program at Delaware Tech until shortly before her death.
Contributions from family and friends helped establish the Maureen Schab Fund for Education, which initially awarded one $1,000 scholarship per year (renewable yearly) to a graduating senior from Cape Henlopen High School who planned to major in education at college. After Kerry and her husband Chris moved to Sussex County and began teaching at Milford High School, the program was expanded to include one Milford High senior who had teaching ambitions, and over the years, the award amounts were increased.
Considering further expansion, Bill Schab noted that the scholarships were not always renewed, and more funding would be required to produce a greater impact for today’s students. Even when he explained to his kids that this would come out of their potential inheritance, they were all for it, he said.
Another meaningful change in their plans came when Bill took on a complicated real estate case involving more than 20 owners of inherited land, and one of them turned out to be a former student of Maureen’s. He told Bill she was the one teacher who never gave up on him, who continually encouraged him even during hard times. “Because of his admiration for Maureen, he said that he would trust me to do anything I thought best on his behalf,” said Bill.
The Schabs decided that if Maureen's impact on her students was still that strong 45 years later, her love of education and her students had to be honored for years to come.
Bill contacted Mike Rawl of Horizon Philanthropic Group, who helped establish the fund initially. He pointed them toward a new Delaware Tech program whereby students could obtain their four-year teaching degree at the Georgetown campus, and after meeting with administrators, they realized it was exactly what they were looking for.
The Schabs agreed to fund a minimum of four $5,000 scholarships per year for senior student-teachers. Then, after meeting with the four 2023-24 recipients, Bill was so impressed, he decided to increase the yearly award to $6,000 to help them cover student-teaching expenses. Once they learned that all four of the first scholarship recipients would be teaching full time in Sussex County schools in 2024-25, the Schabs decided to expand the program and award five $6,000 scholarships per year.
They have now committed to award a minimum of $30,000 per year in scholarships from Maureen’s fund for Delaware Tech students, in addition to the $12,000 awarded to the students from Cape and Milford high schools, for a total of $42,000 per year.
They hope that adding the Del Tech student-teachers to the program will ensure Maureen’s legacy and will enhance the quality of public school education in Sussex County. Further expansion of the scholarship program is also a goal.
The Schabs know there are many worthwhile organizations and programs in Sussex County and elsewhere that need financial support. They have chosen Maureen’s fund to receive theirs, and they welcome any contributions others may wish to make to this 501(c)(3) tax-exempt fund. Donations may be sent to The Maureen Schab Fund for Education, c/o The Greater Lewes Foundation, PO Box 110, Lewes, DE 19958; or made online at tinyurl.com/5732c5k9.
To contact Bill Schab, call 302-645-6626 or email bill@fwsdelaw.com.
