Page 8 - AACC 2108 Impact Report

Giving Back to AACC
After retiring from a successful career with the Department of Defense, Penelope “Penny” Horgan knew that she wanted to give back to the school that enabled her pursuit of higher education and her diverse career—AACC. She accomplished this goal by endowing a scholarship to help AACC students pursue their own academic goals and to launch their professional careers.
Penny embarked on her academic journey in the late 1960’s when higher education wasn’t always
a natural avenue for women.
Her father did not support this ambition but her mother did, convincing him to allow her to
go to college if Penny paid for
her education. Attending AACC at night was affordable while working during the day. She was delighted to find that night-time education included professors from the U.S. Naval Academy and other area colleges as well as the AACC faculty.
Graduating from AACC provided an excellent educational foundation for further academic achievement. She completed a Bachelors and Masters at the University of Maryland as well as additional graduate programs at George Washington, Johns Hopkins, and Syracuse Universities, as well as the U.S. Army War College and other government leadership programs.
“AACC was such an opportunity that I want to help students today have the financial resources needed to pursue their academic and career goals. Scholarships like this weren’t really available when I went to school,” Penny said.
Penny recently toured the AACC campus and marveled at its growth in size, diversity, and expanded curriculum. She was pleased, however, to see many of the same facilities where she spent very busy but happy days during the first years
of this campus. While touring the campus, Penny was introduced
to the first student recipient
of her scholarship, which was established to honor her mother’s memory and her support.
Private scholarships play a role in opening doors of higher education to many of our students at AACC. Thanks to the generosity of our donors, more than $1 million were awarded to students to help offset tuition and expenses in 2018.
Penny Horgan and scholarship recipient, Jasmine Gordon, tour the AACC Truxal Library.
8 Anne Arundel Community College Foundation