History
Vincent B. Roberts grew up in Wisconsin and completed a degree in a biological science. During the Korean War, he joined the Air Force and thrived under its demands of professional versatility and a strong work ethic. After serving as a cargo pilot, Vincent gradually obtained degrees in electrical engineering and business administration. He flew in Vietnam and worked in many positions in engineering, planning, diplomacy, and operations, rising to the rank of Colonel. He and his wife Celia, a nurse, met in the Air Force and saw his career as an opportunity for stable earnings growth and undreamed-of learning.
After retirement, Vincent worked in production planning, learned financial investing, and enjoyed wood-working. He and Celia researched and self-published their genealogies. Along the way, he grew into a far-thinking planner, a balanced observer of the vicissitudes of human life, and strove to use his earnings prudently and generously. He wanted to inspire young people to rise out of their troubles and become educated and independent.
Guiding criteria for the scholarship
The Roberts Family Fund scholarship encourages students to prepare for a rewarding work career and to become productive and thoughtful global citizens. It supports students who are choosing to study a technical vocation, or at two- or four-year colleges, as a foundation for a long multi-faceted life. It is renewable to support students throughout their degree program.
The scholarship seeks to support students who have pursued opportunities to learn and practice new skills inside and outside the classroom, and who have demonstrated the ability to navigate the educational system by achieving in classes, writing an excellent scholarship application, and by growing from successes and setbacks in home, school, and extracurricular activities. The scholarship encourages students who have developed clarity of focus and a sense of purpose, and who demonstrate teamwork, perseverance, and aspiration.