Established by Robin Propst Blackwell and her husband, Robert Blackwell, and Robert Propst and his husband, Julian Clark, the fund will provide scholarship support for Catawba students pursuing degrees in education.
For the Propst family, the scholarship is a way to carry forward the values that shaped both Sara Jean and Paul’s lives and their family.
“Our parents were both proud Catawba graduates, and education was deeply important to them,” said Robin Propst Blackwell. “Mother was a teacher for 20 years in what is now Rowan-Salisbury Schools, and Daddy student taught before beginning his career in banking and real estate. They truly emphasized education when we were growing up. If you didn’t go to school, you went to the doctor.”
Sara Jean and Paul’s years at Catawba helped shape a life centered on learning, relationships, and service to others. Their children established the endowed fund in grateful recognition of that connection and the lasting influence the College had on their parents.
Beginning in the 2026-27 academic year, the family provided a separate gift to provide an immediate scholarship award while the endowed fund grows and becomes eligible for annual distributions.
Scholarships will support students enrolled in an education program within Catawba’s Goodman School of Education who demonstrate academic merit and remain in good academic standing. Recipients must maintain a cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher to retain eligibility.
Through the R. Paul Propst & Sara Jean Arey Propst Endowed Fund, the family hopes to help future educators pursue their own calling while extending a legacy that began generations earlier at Catawba.
The fund reflects the enduring impact of a Catawba education, one that reaches beyond an individual student and continues through families, classrooms, and communities for years to come.
To learn more about how to support Catawba College or establish a new endowed fund or scholarship, please contact Catawba’s Office of Advancement at 704.637.4394.
About Where Our Good Goes
Where Our Good Goes is Catawba College’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, designed to expand opportunities for students, enhance academic and campus life, and strengthen the College’s impact on communities near and far. Grounded in Catawba’s mission of scholarship with character and culture for service, the campaign reflects the College’s enduring belief that when we invest in students today, their good will go far tomorrow. For more information about the Where Our Good Goes campaign, visit catawba.edu/whereourgoodgoes.
About Catawba College
Founded in 1851, Catawba College is a four-year, private, liberal arts college conveniently located in Salisbury, N.C. Ranked as one of the best regional colleges in the South, Catawba is a learning community that provides students with unique opportunities to discover their vocation, calling, passions, and purpose as they prepare to reach their highest potential. The College offers more than 70 undergraduate and four graduate programs, allowing students to explore diverse interests and create their own academic pathways. Additional information is available at catawba.edu.
