An extraordinary woman, whose visionary leadership and heart for helping others continues long after her passing, has helped the Crittenden County Rocket Foundation exceed its initial fundraising goal. Crittenden County Tomorrow, Inc., a 501(C)(3) org
Linda Williams Schumann
anization founded in 2003 by Linda Williams Schumann, has pledged $150,000 to the foundation, making expanded college and career opportunities available to current and future Rocket graduates.
Schumann, a 1965 graduate of Crittenden County High School, attended Paducah Community College before graduating from Western Kentucky University in 1969. Following graduation, she took a position with the Environmental Protection Agency in Washington, D.C., where she met and married her husband, who served in Vietnam. Upon his return, the couple moved to Spokane, Washington, where Linda taught business and managed an apartment house while her husband completed his law degree at Gonzaga University.
From Spokane, the Schumanns moved to Chicago, where Linda worked for the Chicago Board of Trade while completing her MBA at the University of Chicago. Later, the couple moved to Granby, Connecticut, where they both worked for the Cigna Corporation in Hartford. It was at Cigna where Linda advanced to become the highest female executive in the company at the time.
While education and career opportunities led her far from her hometown roots, Linda returned to her beloved Crittenden County after retirement in 1998, where she quietly sought ways to give back to the community she loved. In 2003, Linda founded Crittenden County Tomorrow for the purpose of supporting and coordinating the efforts of citizens, organizations, and government entities working to improve all aspects of life in Crittenden County. One area in which Linda was particularly invested was counseling. She worked tirelessly to establish and maintain a counseling center in Marion, traveling across the state at her own expense to secure funding and resources. The counseling center was the major recipient of her organization’s support until her death in 2019. The beneficiary of a large portion of Schumann’s estate, Crittenden County Tomorrow has begun work to carry out Linda’s mission to advance opportunities for Crittenden County residents.
Long time friend and Crittenden County Tomorrow president Stuart Collins, said Linda’s humble contributions to the community are a testament to the remarkable individual she was. “Linda mentored numerous people and positively influenced their lives without calling attention to herself,” said Collins. “We are honored to continue Linda’s work, and we believe that investing in our community’s most valuable resource, our young people, will further Linda’s legacy of creating a brighter tomorrow for Crittenden County.”
Chris Cook, Crittenden County Board of Education Chair, said Schumann’s gift aligns with the school district’s vision to create success for its students, whatever college or career path they choose. “This generous gift in honor of Linda truly is a game changer for our kids, their families (present and future), our schools (including future teachers and staff) and our community. These resources will be invested strategically and wisely by empowering and equipping our most precious resource…our kids, who are Crittenden County’s Tomorrow. We will use this gift as a springboard for our next financial goal for the Rocket Foundation.”
The Rocket Foundation was formed more than a decade ago with the purpose of aiding high school students with expenses tied to post-secondary education. In recent years the school board has contributed to the foundation, but it wasn’t until mid-2020, that efforts to expand the foundation, led by Superintendent Vince Clark, really took root.
“As anyone can see,” said Clark, “education has changed dramatically over the last decade, and it continues to evolve as our students are presented with more opportunities and pathways. Even in the midst of a pandemic, we knew that the time was now to focus energies on growing our foundation, so that we could open more doors to students as they look toward their future.”
Clark explained that the Rocket Foundation aids high school juniors and seniors in a multitude of ways, including:
Covering dual credit tuition and textbook costs for juniors and seniors
Aiding with work ready certifications through pre-apprenticeships and industry certifications in auto, electrical, plumbing, carpentry, health sciences, information technology, and welding at the Caldwell Regional Career Center
Strengthening career readiness in career and technical education pathways in biomedical, computer science, agriculture, business/marketing, and family and consumer studies
Assisting with tuition and textbook cost for our Senior Academy, a partnership with Madisonville Community College
Providing scholarship opportunities to colleges, universities, and trade schools
Furthering opportunities for OSHA certification at the Caldwell Regional Career Center and EMT certification through the Health Science Department at Madisonville Community College
“Our students are diverse learners with unique career aspirations,” said Clark. “A high school education isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ experience. As school leaders, we need to meet students where they are and help connect them with the resources and individuals they need to find success, whatever that looks like to them. We have some of the best and brightest students in Crittenden County, and while talent may be equally abundant, opportunity always isn’t. This
generous gift by the late Ms. Schumann and Crittenden County Tomorrow allows us to level the
playing field for our students who are dedicated and determined to bettering themselves and hopefully, in turn, our community by bringing their talents and resources back to Crittenden County to serve others.”
There are many ways to contribute to the Rocket Foundation, according to public relations Tiffany Blazina, including payroll deduction, one-time and recurring donations, and two new initiatives Blazina is working to grow, Legacy Plaques and the Rocket Business Partner of the Month program.
“Our legacy plaques are a unique way to honor a loved one, or even celebrate your own Rocket pride,” said Blazina. “The 8X8 plaques will be permanently displayed on the walls of Rocket Arena and feature an individual’s graduation date and high school activities and involvement.”
The Rocket Business Partner of the Month program began in November, 2021, and works to create partnerships between the district and local businesses and organizations who believe in the foundation’s mission to grow our own future leaders and contributing citizens. Past partners include Superior Trophies, Screen Printing, & Embroidery; Marion Pit Bar B-Q, Whitetail Properties, and the current partner, The Peoples Bank.
Anyone interested in purchasing a Legacy Plaque, becoming a Rocket Business Partner of the Month, or contributing to the Rocket Foundation in any way, can contact Blazina at [email protected] or 270-965-3525.