Her Love and Her Legacy Live On
Betty Geer loved her hometown and her hometown college. Geer lived modestly and didn't especially like attention. No one suspected that she was capable of giving back to North Iowa in the way she did.
Geer demonstrated her affection by leaving a large portion of her estate to establish the Betty Geer Scholarship through the NIACC Foundation. The scholarship assists Mason City and Newman Catholic High School students attending North Iowa Area Community College. By Geer's careful planning, the Mason City native and former bank teller was able to leave a substantial financial gift as well as a large vote of confidence in NIACC and NIACC students.
In the 14 years since Betty's death in 2003, 662 students have been award over $612,000 through her generosity. Clarissa Brincks is one of those recipients.
Brincks graduated from Mason City High School in 2009 and had taken college classes during high school. Brincks always loved clothing and fashion but, she says, she wanted to go the "smart" and "practical" route by studying to become a nurse. She withdrew from NIACC in the spring of her first year, as she really didn't know what she wanted to do. She was not fully committed and had not done well in her pre-nursing classes.
After a two-year break and working as an assistant manager at American Eagle Outfitters, Brincks knew she wouldn't be content until she got her degree. The Betty Geer Scholarship awarded to Brincks upon her return to NIACC in 2012, proved to be the final push to her earning an AA degree. Brincks went on to obtain her bachelor's degree in Textiles and Apparel from the University of Northern Iowa.
"I was so grateful for the donation made by Betty Geer and the scholarship awarded to me in her name. This gave me the courage to finally pursue my true life's passion," noted Brincks.
Brincks went on to intern with SHEEX, LLC, a performance-fabric bedding company started by former All-American and WNBA player Michelle Marciniak and Susan Walvius, former coach for the University of South Carolina. At SHEEX, Brincks assisted in trend development for the upcoming seasons. She was later offered a position but didn't want to leave the Midwest to relocate to Florida.
Brincks now works as the Sourcing and Production specialist at Minneapolis-based Creative Apparel Concepts. Brincks is doing what she loves because of a choice she made to be persistent and earn her degree, with the help of a woman named Betty Geer.
Learn More
Like Betty Geer, you can make a difference in students' lives with a gift from your estate. Contact Molly Knoll today at 641-422-4404 or foundation@niacc.edu for more information.
Information contained herein was accurate at the time of posting. The information on this website is not intended as legal or tax advice. For such advice, please consult an attorney or tax advisor. Figures cited in any examples are for illustrative purposes only. References to tax rates include federal taxes only and are subject to change. State law may further impact your individual results. California residents: Annuities are subject to regulation by the State of California. Payments under such agreements, however, are not protected or otherwise guaranteed by any government agency or the California Life and Health Insurance Guarantee Association. Oklahoma residents: A charitable gift annuity is not regulated by the Oklahoma Insurance Department and is not protected by a guaranty association affiliated with the Oklahoma Insurance Department. South Dakota residents: Charitable gift annuities are not regulated by and are not under the jurisdiction of the South Dakota Division of Insurance.