Ed Wagner Sr. Scholarship
A tribute to the Legacy of Ed Wagner Sr.: This scholarship has been named in tribute to Ed Wagner, long-time West Catholic Educator and Renaissance Man.
Who will benefit once endowed? Present and incoming West Catholic Students.
Ed Wagner Sr. Scholarship
An Endowed Scholarship to Build a Legacy for West Catholic High School
The Story of Ed Wagner Sr.
Ed Wagner began teaching at WC in 1962. He quickly became every kid's favorite teacher, with his lively history classes. Ed also began coaching basketball... a sport that he not only loves, but to which he attributes his raspy voice today! His greatest achievement was the impact he made on hundreds of high school students. Many of us fondly remember his "cardiac kids" winning the City Championship in 1973 when our tallest player was 6 ft 3"!
Ed became Assistant Principal in 1976 and was named Principal in 1979, a position he held until 1993. During his tenure as Principal he led WC from good to great! He led the Site Utilization Committee which culminated in what is now Falcon Stadium, the baseball and softball diamonds and, of course, this beautiful gym we're celebrating in tonight. Ed also initiated the Academic Awards given to students annually.
He served on numerous teams and committees serving the Diocese, the School System and the Community at large. One of those committees was the team to pass a millage to form Grand Rapids Community College and separate the former G.R.J.C. from the G.R. Public Schools system. With the successful vote in 1991, Ed was offered a job at GRCC. He became the Executive Assistant to the President.
Ed accomplished all of this with the support of his lovely wife Susie. All five of their children are WC graduates and Ed enjoys watching his grandchildren play for WC today. He is a tireless fundraiser and ambassador extraordinaire for all things West Catholic!
This scholarship was created last year and we are almost half way to endowment!! Once endowed, this scholarship will be awarded to a present or incoming West Catholic student that demonstrates a commitment to serving their Catholic Community.
What is an endowed scholarship? A minimum contribution of $25,000 is required for a scholarship to be endowed, that money is held by GRCSS (West Catholic) and is invested. Only the interest from the endowment is spent, thus, keeping the principal (amount donated) intact. This ensure that the scholarship remains useful for generations to come therefore building a legacy.
