Betsy and her family

Betsy and her family

For 14 years, Betsy Halford volunteered at Merriman Park Elementary, supporting the teachers and staff while her four children and their classmates attended the school. After all the fundraisers and Field Days, after all the programs and projects, Betsy, whose years served on the PTA board included a stint as president in 1996, wanted to continue helping.

Sign up for our newsletter!

* indicates required

Betsy was hired as the campus Student Data Specialist, a job which gave her a central role in the school’s front office. For the next 17 years, Betsy got to see and know many of MPE’s families, from the day their oldest started Kindergarten to the time the youngest returned before heading off to college.

Betsy retired at the end of the fall semester, and the MPE PTA is recognizing her by naming their annual scholarship in her honor. Each May, the PTA grants a graduating senior from LHHS who attended MPE with a college scholarship to applaud their accomplishments and help further their education, and this award will now be known as the Betsy M. Halford Scholarship.

Betsy and former students LeeAnn Flinn, Michael Bonahoom and Tanner Dale

Betsy and former students LeeAnn Flinn, Michael Bonahoom and Tanner Dale

“What do you give someone who has meant so much to MPE?” praised PTA President Liz Kluever.

Betsy was overwhelmed.

“The joy I felt when the MPE PTA honored me by naming their scholarship after me was indescribable. Usually someone has to die or give a large sum of money to an organization to have something named after them, and all I had to do as to go to a job I loved for 17 years. I will be eternally grateful to the PTA for honoring me in such a special way, and my life has been richly blessed by the friendships I have made by being a part of MPE.”

Betsy, whose oldest granddaughter begins Kindergarten at MPE in 2015, will serve on the scholarship selection committee.