Schmidt Foundation Establishes Scholarship for Students with Spinal Cord Injuries

The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation, which is dedicated to helping individuals overcome spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders, established the scholarship with a $10,000 gift to the Thomas Edison State College Foundation, leveraging the college’s course delivery format, which meets the needs of people who are paralyzed.

“While many institutions are accessible, maneuvering a campus can be problematic for a person using a wheelchair during inclement weather or simply trying to get from the parking lot to a class on the third floor,” said Ida Cahill, president and CEO of the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation. “It is much easier for paralyzed students to participate in online classes or to earn credits through testing or prior learning assessment.”

Cahill said the foundation selected Thomas Edison State College for the scholarship due to its reputation as a national leader in providing distance education for adults and because its programs are completely accessible to individuals who are paralyzed.

“We are honored to partner with the Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation to help individuals with spinal cord injuries build better lives,” said Dr. George A. Pruitt, president of Thomas Edison State College. “By leveraging our core competencies in distance education, we hope to empower those affected by paralysis by providing them with educational opportunities.”

Cahill said spinal cord injuries have an impact both on the individual and his or her family, and often the biggest challenge is financial because the person injured cannot return to work. Helping people with spinal cord injuries prepare for a new career through education helps families facing spinal cord injuries meet this challenge, she said.

“We feel it is important to provide real tools that people with spinal cord injuries can use to help them lead productive and satisfying lives,” Cahill said. “Our goal is not just to have people complete their education, which we certainly hope they do, but, more importantly, to have them take control of their lives knowing they have a future.”

ABOUT THE SAM SCHMIDT PARALYSIS FOUNDATION
The Sam Schmidt Paralysis Foundation (SSPF) helps individuals overcome spinal cord injuries and other neurological disorders by funding scientific research, medical treatment, rehabilitation and technological advances. The foundation funds its national Day at the Races program and quality of life grants to organizations throughout the country benefiting people with paralysis and other life challenges. It also provides college scholarships for people with spinal cord injuries/paralysis. The Foundation works tirelessly in its advocacy efforts both locally and nationally on behalf of the disabled. The Foundation was established in 2000 by Sam Schmidt, a former Indy Racing League driver who was paralyzed after a racing accident. Today, he is owner of Sam Schmidt Motorsports and remains a leading advocate of spinal cord patients and their families and the search for cures and effective therapeutic treatments for paralysis.

ABOUT THOMAS EDISON STATE COLLEGE
Thomas Edison State College provides flexible, high-quality, collegiate learning opportunities for self-directed adults. One of New Jersey’s 12 senior public institutions of higher education, the College offers associate, baccalaureate and master’s degrees in more than 100 areas of study. Identified by Forbes magazine as one of the top 20 colleges and universities in the nation in the use of technology to create learning opportunities for adults, Thomas Edison State College is a national leader in the assessment of adult learning and a pioneer in the use of educational technologies. The College is home to The John S. Watson Institute for Public Policy. The New Jersey State Library is an affiliate of Thomas Edison State College. Further information about admission to the College may be obtained by calling (888) 442-8372, via e-mail at info@tesc.edu or by visiting the College Web site at www.tesc.edu.