Connie Nieser

A fundraiser on campus April 17 raised about $875 for the Connie Nieser Memorial Scholarship.

OCCC’s faculty and staff donated books and baked goods knowing that all proceeds would benefit the scholarship fund.

The annual scholarship was awarded to Dominique Hall on April 27 at the 2012 Scholarship Luncheon, said Myra Decker, professor of accounting and business. The total amount this year is $1,500.

The scholarship was founded in honor of former accounting Professor Connie Nieser, who died in 2005.

“Connie worked as an accounting professor at OCCC for 22 years and started the Accounting lab,” Decker said.

The scholarship honors her memory, said Anita Williams, professor of business.

“When she passed away, her family came up with this scholarship in her name,” Williams said.

Since the scholarship fund is through OCCC’s foundation, it is possible to collect other contributions throughout the year.

Decker said faculty and staff hold the sale once a year in April, the month of Nieser’s birth, as a remembrance to Nieser’s birthday.

“Our first fundraiser was April of 2006,” Decker said. “April 17 was the seventh annual event.”

During the fundraiser faculty and staff sold cupcakes, cookies, brownies, and many other deserts in addition to books. Decker said Neiser’s love of cooking and books is the reason both are featured prominently during the fundraiser.

“Connie loved to read and cook,” Decker said.

Williams said everything was donated from the faculty and staff, mainly from the business department. “But others helped out as well, such as Dana Glencross, professor of political science.”

The fundraiser was very fast paced and kept the volunteers busy.

“We have been doing very well and the donations have been very generous,” Glencross said on the day of the sale.

Decker said Nieser was a generous person.

“Connie always shared her books because she said, ‘Books need a good home.’ She would love that so many books were ‘adopted.’”

For more information on donation opportunities for scholarships contact Lealon Taylor, executive director of Institutional Advancement or Jennifer Harrison, director of Development at 405-682-7591.

To contact Ariel Watkins, email onlineeditor@occc.edu.