The Susan Henggeler Memorial Scholarship was established in honor of a beloved member of the Albertsons Library community. Henggeler worked at the library for nearly 48 years before her death. She cared deeply about the campus community, and had the opportunity to mentor and create long-lasting relationships with many student employees.
This year’s scholarship recipient is Georgia Keshian. Keshian graduated from Boise High in 2015 and enrolled at Boise State that fall. She has worked in the library’s access services unit off and on ever since.
“Georgia is kind, considerate of others and enjoys helping other students. She is a valued, long-time team member who is always happy to do whatever needs to be done,” said Shelly Doty, head of access services, and Keshian’s supervisor.
The last seven years have brought lots of change to Keshian and her family. Her mom has been battling cancer since Keshian was little, and Keshian herself experiences ongoing medical issues. She’s also changed her major several times – which keeps extending her enrollment at Boise State.
But, there have been exciting milestones along the way. Keshian got married last year, and the couple is expecting their first child next spring. She’s on track to graduate soon with a bachelor’s degree in creative writing, with an emphasis on poetry.
A self-proclaimed “library kid,” Keshian often attended story hour at the Boise Public Library as a child. Between the ages of 12 and 18, Keshian spent every Tuesday night at the library, became a member of the teen advisory board and volunteered for Comic Con.
As a young child who was coping with a sick mom, reading books at the public library helped Keshian “escape to another world” free of anxiety and disease. In the “other world” of Boise State’s library, she came up with the idea to launch Books and Blankets in 2017. The program collects and donates new books and blankets to St. Luke’s Children’s Hospital.
The scholarship provides the library’s eligible student employees with the opportunity to receive additional funding to assist with purchasing needed class materials or payment of fees and tuition. Student-eligibility requirements for the scholarship include being employed as a student assistant at the library for at least one year and demonstrating financial need by completing the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
“Health issues and medical bills have been a burden on my husband and me as a young couple,” Keshian said. “Even though we follow a tight budget, we struggle to keep up with expenses, like car repairs, as we prepare for a baby. This scholarship lessens that burden.”