Greenlee Family Endowed Scholarship
Della Greenlee ’82 began work at California Lutheran College in 1976. She was at that time the wife of a pastor and the mother of three daughters. It was very important to her that her children be able to receive a college education. And so she realized she needed to find employment in order to contribute to the family income.
As Della described it all many years later, “I know assuredly that God led me to the doors of California Lutheran College, but little did I know that the next 36 years would be spent in partnership with the university.” In fact, at CLC both Della and her daughter Jeannine had the opportunity to complete their bachelor’s degrees.
As Della finished her studies she found a new position in the advancement office where she could put her abilities to good use. Her job was to secure grants for CLC. Almost by accident, she discovered that there was no one specific person tasked with working with donors of existing scholarships, nor was there anyone designated to work with supporters who might desire to create their own scholarships. It eventually became part of her job to develop new scholarships.
The Greenlee Family Scholarship might have waited years to come into being. But things had a way of working out very differently. Della and her husband John had established a trust that included a future scholarship in the plan. And they had already written a purpose for the scholarship. In her own words, Della explained, “I truly believe that God gives each of us a unique gift or talent to be used for good, and it is up to us to discover what that gift is. After a lifetime of Christian service and stewardship, I realized that I had found my personal purpose, that is, my ‘vocation,’ at CLU, and I wanted to help students do the same.”
Thus, the Greenlee Family Scholarship was to be awarded to students who earnestly seek to discover God’s purpose for their lives through the cultivation of the gifts or talents they have received from God. That criterion is a bit intangible, but Della trusted that those responsible for selecting future recipients would find students for whom this award can affirm their search.When Della retired in 2012, many gifts to CLU were made in her honor. She was admired by so many people that the scholarship fund grew quickly. One very special gift came from the Ahmanson Foundation, with which she had worked through the years. That gift immediately brought the scholarship to endowment levels.
When the time comes for the Greenlee estate to be settled, the Greenlee Family Endowed Scholarship will grow through Della’s bequest, carrying on her memory at the campus where she spent so much of her working life and to which she gave so much of herself.