Outgoing Mid-Pac head establishes fund

Retiring Mid-Pacific Institute President Joe Rice is establishing a charitable fund for disadvantaged students.

Rice, who is retiring after 17 years, said he was inspired to create the fund because of the help he received during his educational career.

"I lived in a car while attending the University of Washington, parked in a Shell service station bay to sleep at night and took showers at PE class," Rice said in a statement. "The person who let me park and sleep in that bay lent a helping hand. He wasn’t supposed to let me do that but he did."

The endowed scholarship will begin issuing grants in about three years.

Rice will kick off the fund at a retirement dinner Wednesday at 5:30 p.m. at the Hilton Hawaiian Village Coral Ballroom.

For information on how to contribute to the fund, contact Kristy Tong, Mid-Pacific vice president for institutional advancement, at ktong@midpac.edu or 973-5022.