Robin Henry hopes to encourage students attending Indiana University East to pursue their degree through establishing a new $25,000 scholarship endowment in honor of her parents, the Henry Family Scholarship.

Henry is from Richmond and a first-generation college graduate. Growing up it was never a question that she would attend college, and her parents, Homer W. Henry and Patricia “Pat” Sue Wampler Henry, were supportive of her education and career ambitions.

Homer Henry was the co-owner of and operated Klute-Beach-Henry Funeral Home in Richmond. Before then, he served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was a POW in Germany.

“Neither of my parents received a college degree,” Henry said. “My father did attend some classes at Earlham College to prepare him for his mortuary science certification, but it was always assumed that I would attend college.”

Henry believes that her parents were instrumental in her success. By establishing this scholarship in the memory of her parents, Henry hopes to provide award recipients with an awareness that someone believes in them and what they can achieve when they pursue their dreams and passion.

“The achievements that I have been able to accomplish so far in my career and personal life is because my dad and mom believed in me,” Henry said.

The Richmond High School 1977 graduate attended Ball State University. The first two years in college, she pursued a secondary education degree with a concentration in history. “But I didn’t feel this was my calling,” Henry said.

She changed her major and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science. Henry completed an internship at the Indiana State House, working for three senators before returning to her hometown. “The economy wasn’t great at that time, so I came back to Richmond and tried finding my way into different opportunities,” Henry said.

She joined WQLK/WHON (KICKS 96) as an account executive and news reporter, working for the local station. Henry was also the executive director for Leadership Wayne County. She went back to her roots in government and worked with the City of Richmond, serving first in the role as the director of Community Partnerships and then as the director of Human Resources.

Later she attended IUPUI to earn her Master of Science in Adult Education. She also received certification as a Senior Professional in Human Resources through the Society for Human Resource Management.

Additionally, Henry has worked as an adjunct for Purdue University in Richmond. Within the community, Henry served on the board of directors for nearly 20 different community non-profits, including officer roles with the Richmond Art Museum, the Reid Health Governing Board and the Reid Health Foundation, Main Street Richmond/Wayne County and the Richmond Board of Works and Safety. She was appointed to Richmond City Council in 1982 at the age of 22 to fill the vacant third district seat making her the youngest citizen to serve on council to date.

More recently, Henry also was a founding committee member for Palette to Palate, a collaborative annual fundraiser for the Richmond Art Museum and IU East.

IU East Chancellor Kathy Girten said scholarships help to make an academic degree and other opportunities possible for students.

“We appreciate Robin’s gift of generosity and admire her consideration to assist students by helping to cover the cost of their education, in an effort to provide the same assurance and support that she was given by her parents,” Girten said.

Henry joined West End Bank as assistant vice president of Human Resources in 2002 and was later promoted as the executive vice president and chief human resource officer. Simultaneously, she started working on her Master of Adult Education at IUPUI in Indianapolis. Henry said she found graduate work to be a new experience, and the online experience was incredible. She especially appreciated the support of faculty like Henry Merrill. “College was a given in 1977, and I did it then for my parents and for myself. But, I really enjoyed my adult education degree. It was something I really wanted to do.”

Today, Henry is the assistant vice president of Regional Human Resources for 3Rivers Federal Credit Union.

Starting out her path may not have been clear, she said, but she has found a unique path that has put her skills to use and brought her years of enjoyment, involvement and service to the community.

“When I look back at a total career, it wasn’t a clear way to go. I kept my eyes open and looked for opportunities. Now looking back I just think, ‘Wow, this has been quite the journey.’ They have all been very different but have all involved my skillset,” Henry said. “I have just really been blessed.”

Now, she is looking forward to giving back so new generations can have the opportunity to continue to do the same.

“I see the value of IU East. Having the university here in the community, and I see what it has done for individuals in the community – for many who have continued to work while they pursued a college degree – truly, IU East is a community asset. IU East is now a college of choice for students out of high school,” Henry said. “As an employer I appreciate the outstanding workforce IU East provides for us.”

For information on how to contribute, contact Paula Kay King, director of Gift Development, at (765) 973-8331 or pkayking@iue.edu.