Because of NIACC’s importance in their son’s life, Dale and Violet Reichardt established the Terry D. Reichardt Memorial Engineering Scholarship through the NIACC Foundation after Terry died in 1979.
Terry D. Reichardt was in his sophomore year at NIACC when he was killed in an automobile accident. He was planning to transfer to Iowa State University after graduating from NIACC in the spring. He intended to enroll in the engineering program at ISU. Which is why his family designated the scholarship for engineering of pre-engineering students. Terry’s ultimate goal was to take over his father’s Garner construction company.
Terry’s parents thought it was important that he attend a small college after graduating from Garner High School, as oppose to going to a big university right away. Violet said Terry really enjoyed his time and NIACC and felt he got one-on-one attention from the instructors at the school.
“NIACC worked very well with Terry, and he felt very much a part of the school system there,” Violet said. “It was just a neat part of his life.”
Beside construction and engineering, Terry’s interests included sports and hunting. His mother said he had a great personality and “like all aspects of living.”
Violet said that family enjoys hearing from recipients of the scholarship. “It makes us feel really good,” Violet said. She and Dale have saved every letter they’ve received and also send copies to Terry’s sisters, Reane Haaland of Armstrong, Iowa and Pamela MacDonald of Apple Valley, Minnesota.
Although Terry’s life was taken from him before he could reach his goals, the Reichardt family is helping other students reach theirs through the Terry D. Reichardt Memorial Engineering Scholarship.