Mennonite Weekly Review

HARRISONBURG, Va. — Eastern Mennonite University hopes to build on the legacy of musician and 2008 nursing graduate Matthew Garber through the newly established Matthew Garber Endowed Scholarship Fund.

Matthew Garber leads music at the EMU class of 2008 baccalaureate service in Lehman Auditorium April 26, 2008. — Photo by Lindsey Roeschley/EMU

Garber, 22, a well-loved student leader known for his strong faith and good sense of humor, drowned in Costa Rica on July 1, 2008, shortly after graduating with honors from EMU. The endowed fund named in his honor will provide funding for students in need who wish to study music or nursing at EMU.

Garber, of Elizabethtown, Pa., was spending the summer in Costa Rica assisting a missionary family and learning Spanish. He planned to begin a position in the emergency room at Lancaster (Pa.) General Hospital at summer’s end.

He was one of 10 graduating EMU seniors honored with the annual “Cords of Distinction” recognition for their impact on the campus and beyond.

“From time to time, one who could be considered the model EMU student comes along,” said Ken L. Nafziger, vice president for student life.

“Consider a young man who, as an expression of his Christian faith, was prone to service, committed to community, loved to sing, made friends with ease and was kind, caring and scholarly — that was Matthew Garber. We grieve his passing but remain heartened by the way he touched and influenced so many people in his time on this Earth.”

Arlene G. Wiens, nursing department chair, said: “Faculty, staff and fellow students in EMU’s nursing department remember Matt for his smile, his positive attitude and his infectious sense of humor that he often used to relieve tension during some tense group projects.”

Classmate Melissa Sikes described Garber as wise and mature beyond his years.

“With tragedy there is hope, and I know I can be a better nurse, using my critical thinking to really connect all the points in a patient, thanks to Matt and his insights,” Sikes said.

Seed funding of $4,605 in gifts has already been collected for the fund. The ultimate goal is to raise $50,000 or more. The scholarship fund may also receive gifts such as bequests or any other type of planned gift.

As soon as the fund accrues $10,000 or more, EMU will begin to grant scholarships in Garber’s name, reported Kirk Shisler, vice president of advancement.