The Friends of John D. Swogger ’57 Endowed Scholarship has recently been established to provide funds for Geneva College students pursuing a major in secondary education.
The fund is dedicated to the memory of John D. Swogger, a 1957 Geneva graduate. Swogger was born in Ellwood City, PA, and went to high school in Wampum, PA. He played for the basketball team while at Geneva, and then played baseball for a minor league affiliate team of the Cleveland Indians after graduation.
Next, Swogger coached basketball at Mercer High school for seven years, leading his team to 23 wins and two state championships. He coached at Altoona High School for 12 years, with a record of 242 wins to 79 losses and nine district championships. He retired from full-time coaching in 1980, but continued to teach basketball at recreational facilities and summer camps.
Coach Swogger was much loved by all his students and players. He built relationships based on encouragement and tough love. One of his former players, who wishes to remain anonymous, approached Geneva to establish the scholarship. “‘Coach’ John Swogger had a direct impact on me and many others who I am friends with,” says the former player. “He was a teacher and basketball coach and always supported me in my pursuits. He was that special person in my life who helped push me to push to achieve my dreams.”
This player wanted to establish the scholarship as a way to let that legacy continue. “He gave to so many and this is a small way that we can give back to him. I know that others who had similar impacts with him will find the desire to give in his name.”
The scholarship will be made available once the fund reaches $25,000 and is intended for students from Blair or Lawrence counties who are planning to pursue a major in secondary education.
The creator of the scholarship hopes that those who knew and loved Coach Swogger will donate in his memory. He also hopes that future recipients understand the scholarship’s significance and “that as a recipient of this scholarship your impact as a friend, leader, teacher, coach and person of faith may be the guide for others beyond your lifetime.”
Geneva College invites students to step forward and leap ahead with an academically excellent, Christ-centered and affordable education. Offering nearly 40 undergraduate majors, Adult Degree Programs with fully online and campus-based options, and high-demand advanced graduate degrees, Geneva's programs are recognized for their high quality. U.S. News & World Report ranks Geneva as a Top 10 Best Value with one of the Top 100 engineering programs in the nation. Adhering to the inerrancy of Scripture, a Geneva education is grounded in God’s word as well as in a core curriculum designed to prepare students vocationally to think, write and communicate well in today’s world.
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