Bolinger Family Establishes Scholarship in College of Business

“It is hard to overstate just how important Idaho State University has been in the lives of the members of the Bolinger family,” the family wrote in a statement to the College. “This scholarship is a natural outgrowth of the value we place on higher education as one of the greatest sources of opportunity in our society.” Both Bolinger parents, Ron and Patty, as well as their children and their spouses have all given their careers to education. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to help make a college education more accessible to students in this state.” 

Over the decades, the Bolinger family has completed or is in the process of completing 13 undergraduate and graduate degrees from Idaho State. Ron and Patty have served as faculty in the College of Education, while Alex is currently a Professor of Management in the College of Business and the acting director of the University Honors Program. Alex’s wife, Brooke, is the Graduate Director for the College of Education and served as the Director of New Student Orientation for several years. On top of that, Ron serves as the President of the Idaho State Civic Symphony while Patty and their daughter, Elizabeth play cello and flute respectively in the symphony. Ron and Patty have both served on the Idaho State University Alumni Board and Patty is currently the president of the board. 

In support of believing in the power of higher education, the Bolingers said they are extremely grateful for the effort the College of Business has put into facilitating new scholarships for students and the opportunities the University Honors Program provides to its students. “We recognize that many of our state’s future leaders are seeking unique chances to challenge themselves and participate in signature experiences in college, and the University Honors Program is an incredible resource for facilitating those kinds of opportunities. Our hope is to prevent these remarkable students from being denied such valuable opportunities because of financial barriers.”

“Several of our College of Business students have pursued an Honors Degree, the only one of its kind in the state of Idaho,” said the family. “The kinds of experiences and opportunities they have access to in the Honors Program provide preparation for our Idaho State students and set them apart in the job market.”

“We hope that this scholarship, and others like it, will attract some of the brightest, most talented and hardest-working high school students in this state and surrounding region and encourage them to consider applying to Idaho State,” the Bolingers said. “We are clearly biased, but we firmly believe that Idaho State provides unique and essential opportunities in this region of the country. We want to make these types of opportunities more accessible to great students and we believe that this scholarship is an important step toward making that a reality.”

"The Bollinger Family represents the best of Idaho State University,” said College of Business Dean, Dr. Shane Hunt. “We are forever thankful to them for this gift that will help our students have more opportunities and better lives."

The rest of the Bolinger family also wished to acknowledge their parents for their dedication to the University and education. “As loyal alumni sticking with Idaho State through the highs and lows, Ron and Patty are the epitome of what it means to be Bengals for life. This scholarship was their idea and all of us are grateful to be able to join them and help to contribute to their vision.”