‘Quirky’ science dinner a scholarship fundraiser

Matthew Fisher wants to find ways to support his students at Great Falls College Montana State University.

The biology professor thinks he knows another way to do that — in the form of scholarship money. He just needs some cash.

Fisher and others at Great Falls College are organizing a fundraiser called A Night out for Science.

Guests will eat their meal with forceps and a scalpel, drink champagne from a test tube and have dessert in the college’s simulated hospital.

There will also be demonstrations in the physical therapy and biology labs and simulated hospital, which houses lifelike mannequins that respond to outside stimuli. During the dinner, guests will see what Fisher describes as “science magic tricks.”

What began as a brainstorm of throwing a fun and quirky science-themed dinner party morphed into a fundraising dinner for scholarships for students majoring in science, technology, engineering and math fields, known as STEM.

A Night out for Science takes place Saturday, May 2, at 6 p.m. Tickets are $50 per plate and must be purchased by April 28 by calling 268-3705.

As far as Fisher is concerned, the stakes are high for his students. Providing scholarships does more than help students pay their tuition and possibly take on smaller debt load; it also shows students that the college and program support them and want them to succeed.

The support is one thing, but Fisher also hopes offering scholarships will help attract students and also retain them once they’ve enrolled.

“If we lessen the financial burden, hopefully it’s one less thing to worry about,” Fisher said.

Tuition at Great Falls College typically is lower even than other public institutions in Montana, according to Lewis Card, executive director of development, communication and marketing at Great Falls College MSU.

However, for some students, even full-time tuition, $1,540 for residents and $4,670 for nonresidents, is a big bill to pay.

Terri Adams has experienced first-hand what it’s like to pay for college and how much scholarships can help.

Adams, now 52, is a journalist-turned-nursing student who began pursuing her associate degree two years ago. She’s applying to nursing programs that she can complete at the Great Falls College campus and will find out where she’s accepted later in the summer.

The scholarships she received while studying for her associate’s degree were significant.

“They make up a deficit if you leave a job when study becomes intense,” she said.

Adams received a renewable scholarship from the Montana Space Grant Consortium and another from the Great Falls Chapter of the American Association of University Women.

Married and the mother of six, Adams worked full time while completing her associate degree. She knows the academic schedule of training as a nurse will be too rigorous for her to work. But she doesn’t want to go into debt.

The RN program offered at Great Falls College costs about $14,800 per year; the LPN program is about $11,570, according to www.gfcmsu.edu.

Adding another monthly payment on top of a mortgage, car payment and the expenses of raising a family is “scary,” she said.

As a nontraditional student, Adams says scholarship opportunities are sometimes lacking, but she’s always looking.

“It’s a great relief. … There’s excitement,” she said of being awarded a scholarship. “There’s humility that someone trusts you with the funds. You have to live up to their expectations and not let them down.”

Adams knows people who have had to drop out or taken time off because they cannot pay for their classes. For people who are working, paying rent and buying groceries, or raising children, college can be a big investment.

That’s where Fisher and the scholarships come in.

Organizers hope the event generates steam, perhaps enough to raise money to create a STEM scholarship endowment.

Card noted more scholarships will be coming down the pike over the next few semesters.

Fisher wants his students to know the college is behind them.

“Hopefully it’s a signal to those students that we’re invested in them and want to see them succeed,” he said.

If you go

To purchase tickets for A Night out for Science, call 268-3705 by Tuesday, April 28. Tickets are $50 each. Social hour is at 6 p.m. and dinner is served at 7 p.m. The event is held at Great Falls College MSU, 2100 16th Ave S.