Jean Brockel estate donates $1.65 million to KPC; Brockel family donated $2.59 million over the years
by Gary J. Turner, Director, Kenai Peninsula College |
Kenai Peninsula College (KPC) has received the largest donation in its history from the Jean Brockel estate. Jean Brockel was the widow of Clayton Brockel, founder of the college in 1964. The $1.6-plus million donation comes from the estate left by Jean. Clayton died in July 2013 and their son, John passed away in January 2008.
The funds will be divided between the already established Brockel Family Scholarship Endowment and the John C. Brockel Scholarship Endowment.
As the executor of the estate, Mike Morgan (also a KPC adjunct) said that the Brockels would be more interested in doing whatever it takes to help KPC now rather than ten years from now. He is the one who determines how much of the funds can be spent each year and has directed that $600,000 be distributed to each fund so we can “get as much money out the door as soon as possible.”
The Brockels also donated land to KPC that it could sell to generate income. In 2011 they donated a 12-acre tract along the Sterling Highway, and they added an adjoining 14-acre tract in 2017. Estimated value of those properties is $500,000. Jean Brockel’s estate also gifted KPC six other properties on the Peninsula that are assessed at $87,000. KPC is holding these parcels until the economy recovers.
Prior to this, the Brockels donated $44,300 to KPC. When you include this with the $1.6 million from Jean Brockel’s estate and the $587,000 in land, they donated $2,593,307. This is the largest donation to KPC in its history.
The Brockel Family Scholarship is intended to benefit students in the humanities, fine arts and performing arts. The areas of study include but are not limited to: Art, Anthropology, Communications, English, History, Mathematics, General Studies, Alaska Native Studies and Psychology.
For the John C. Brockel Scholarship, it can benefit students studying for a particular profession, craft or job. These areas of study include but are not limited to: Accounting, Biology, Business, Nursing, Chemistry, Corrections, Early Childhood Development, Education, Firefighter Preparation, Fisheries Technology, Human Services, Marine Biology, Natural Sciences, Paramedicine, Process Technology, Industrial Process Instrumentation, Petroleum Technology and Welding.
Students interested in learning more about these scholarships should contact KPC’s Financial Aid office at kpc.financialaid@alaska.edu or 907-262-0332.
This story originally appeared on the Kenai Peninsula College website.
"Jean Brockel estate donates $1.65 million to KPC; Brockel family donated $2.59 million
over the years" is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.