The Brightside: DFC MERIT Program 50yr anniversary
DELAWARE—The Delaware Community Foundation’s Minority Engineering Regional Incentive Training program, or MERIT for short, is celebrating a major milestone: 50 years. The program has given thousands of students in Sussex County academic enrichment and college preparatory opportunities. “MERIT at 50 years plus is just a personification of teamwork, sort of, we not me,” says John Hollis.
Hollis is known to many in Delaware as a visionary educator and community leader. That’s in part because of his involvement in creating MERIT; It’s a program offering STEM learning to minority youth in 1974.
“The superintendent of schools and the head man at Dupont picked me out for some reason to start this science club.” A science club that turned into an opportunity to equip thousands of students with challenging engineering experiences and powerful leadership skills while encouraging them to pursue college degrees.
We’re told Hollis spent almost 900 Saturday mornings over 50 years working with over 650 minority students who have earned bachelor’s, master’s, or doctorate degrees. “Students have gone on to become professors of law, doctors, very successful business people at some Fortune 500 companies,” says Mike DiPaolo, the Vice President of Philanthropy at Delaware Community Foundation.
To aid in those efforts over the years, a partnership with DCF was birthed, providing a financial backbone to the program. He tells us, Hollis’s guidance is why they’re still here today helping students who need it most. “They had the potential, they had the talent to go out and do something and they just needed that little bit of support, and somebody like John Hollis came along and was able to provide that for them,” says DiPaolo.
The program paved the way for young students who are now leading our state in various positions. However, Hollis says he couldn’t do it by himself and has put a large emphasis on the student’s family influences throughout the years. “The tremendous impact both short range and long range of family is something we need to keep foremost in our minds.” Hollis adds, “Parents are the first and foremost teachers of their children before formal schooling and we pick up on that on MERIT.”
For the students lacking that family support system, Hollis and DiPaolo tell WMDT that MERIT was that support system for them. Pulling help from those in the community wanting to see these students thrive; and Hollis has committed his life to that very mission. “The kind of passion you see from him even now, 50 years ago when he started it, I don’t know if he knew what he was getting into,” says DiPaolo.
Hollis goes on to say, “Two strokes, septic shock later I would still be doing it, but it has become a way of life for myself, and my family.” His way of life which has resulted in this successful program is inspiring others. While DiPaola adds, “Being able to see this and the differences he’s made, it’s really special. To know that the DCF all follow in his footsteps is pretty remarkable and something we’re honored to do.”
For those following in Hollis’s footsteps, he tells us it will continue to take the work of the entire community, students, and their families to make it the next 50 years. “If we encourage family strength, if we encourage family support of education, if we find ways to work together instead of opposing each other, we’re gonna be okay.”
For those wanting to get involved, it’s best to start around 6th grade. You can reach out to your guidance counselor for information on how to
apply to the program.
You can also visit Delcf.org for more information.
