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An Educator's Legacy

It's been more than a year since Dan Bellack, a beloved and respected member of the Trident Technical College family, passed away.

But his legacy as an educator will live on, thanks to the newly formed Daniel R. Bellack Endowed Memorial Scholarship.

Everyone who knew Bellack will tell you about his genuine concern for his students’ success and well-being. He was skillful at engaging students and was a role model for other instructors, teaching in the classroom and online. He taught psychology and served as the department head and coordinator of the Behavioral and Social Sciences Department for more than 20 years.

Margaret Hane Murphy was a student of his in 1991 and has never forgotten the impact Bellack had on her. "He was my favorite professor in all my years of college, and his class my most meaningful. I am grateful for my time in his classroom, and honored to have called him professor and friend."

Bellack's youngest son, Braden Bellack, recalls one of his earliest memories of meeting one of his father’s friends on the campus of the University of Kentucky in Lexington. The friend was a former student, and they had stayed close. 

“My father was the same friendly optimistic person around Kent as he was around any of his students or friends," says Braden. "But Kent was unique in one way. He had no arms or legs. What sticks with me most about my Dad’s relationship with Kent was that he didn’t treat him any differently than anyone else. Even at such a young age (I couldn’t have been more than 6 or 7 at the time) I could tell that Kent appreciated the way my Dad spoke to him and treated him.”

Creating an endowed scholarship to honor Bellack's passion for education was an easy decision for his family. They wanted to provide opportunities for future students who may not be able to attend college without scholarship support. The Daniel R. Bellack Endowed Memorial Scholarship will support international students and tri-county students with financial need who are enrolled in the Associate in Arts or Associate in Nursing program.

The family hopes that students receiving the scholarship will appreciate the opportunity afforded to them and dedicate themselves to fully realizing their potential. As Dan’s oldest son, Jason, noted, “We hope they will take the time to learn about Dad, to know that he inspired countless numbers of students over the course of his teaching career, and to appreciate the legacy he left that is allowing them to pursue their academic goals.”

Make a gift to the Daniel R. Bellack Endowed Memorial Scholarship

The Daniel R. Bellack Endowed Memorial Scholarship is one of 52 endowed scholarship funds managed by the TTC Foundation. Together these endowed funds provide more than $125,000 of the $400,000 in scholarships awarded annually to Trident Tech students. 

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