NATCHITOCHES - Euzelia Chase of Enterprise has established The U.Z. and Jeroline Bumgardner Memorial Scholarship at Northwestern State University. Chase, a retired schoolteacher, set up the scholarship, which is named in honor of her parents, with a donation of $5,000 to the NSU Foundation. She pledged to donate an additional $5,000 to endow the scholarship next year.

     The scholarship is for a senior education major, who is either in Methods or student teaching. A preference will be given to students from Bienville or Catahoula Parish with an overall GPA of at least 2.5.  

     Chase taught for 31 years, providing instruction in English, Spanish, mathematics, health and physical education and typing and serving as librarian. She was also an administrative librarian for 10 years.

     “We knew how much a scholarship could help. Students who reach their senior year are doing student teaching and don’t have time to work,” said Chase.

     Chase and her late sister Jesolyn Bamgardner Delpapa were Northwestern alumnae along with a daughter and some nieces and nephews.

     “Our parents enjoyed their time at Normal and they were enthusiastic about Normal,” said Chase. “They met once at a high school speech tournament, but all their courting was done at Normal. My sister and I wanted to go there and we got the impression we were expected to.”

     Chase said her father placed a high value on education.

     “At the time, not all fathers felt their daughters should be educated, but our father wanted us to have the experience and assurance that we were qualified to do something,” she said. “Our father had to borrow money to send us to college and we had to work, but he was determined we would graduate without us owing anything.”