Welcome To The Nexstar
Legacy Foundation

“Giving back through the Plumbing, HVAC and Electrical industries.”

The Creation of Dreams

“I wanted my career to focus on giving back,” and to “better the world,” says Andy Deckert, two time Frank Blau Scholarship Award winner. This is why Andy has chosen to major in both mechanical and electrical engineering. He says, “These two fields seem to encompass a lot of needs in the world, and also seem to be fields I can use to give back. That would be my main purpose; use the talents I gain and give back to a community that has so richly blessed my own life.” Andy truly represents the type of talent and leadership that the foundation is looking for in its scholarship award winners, who are sure to create an impact in the industries of plumbing, heating and cooling, and electrical as well in the world at large.

Andy is already taking advantage of opportunities around him to give back to others. By the time he was 18, he was well on the way to making the world a better place by participating in three mission trips: two to Kenya, Africa and one to Australia. On one of his trips he helped install a water treatment and purification system in order to address one of the biggest health challenges Africa faces, clean water.

In his first year at Michigan Technological University, Andy has continued to be a leader. He is a part of the Pavlis Institute for Global Technological Leadership, available to a select group of students. The institute is focused on creatively solving the world’s problems. It empowers students to tap into their own entrepreneurial spirit and gives them the skills it takes to lead global organizations.

As Andy demonstrates, the goal of the Nexstar Legacy Foundation Scholarship is to bring some of the best talent available into an industry that is essential to our communities. This is true whether they are working towards their technician’s degree and will bring their talent into the home service field or, like Andy, they are working on degrees where they can use their leadership skills to impact the lives of millions across the globe.

The end result is a success for all. The students receive the encouragement they need to make their dreams become reality, the industry receives the benefit of their talent, and the world is bettered by their ingenuity. Andy exemplifies the purpose of the foundation when he says, “To me, the definition of “success” is to leave the world a better place for your having been here and electrical engineering is a field where I believe I can achieve that goal.”

A Message From One Of The Founders

The Nexstar Legacy Foundation started as a dream to provide a channel for people in the home service industry to give back to their community. Businesses in the plumbing, HVACR (heating, ventilation, air conditioning, refrigeration) and electrical industries provided funding to start the foundation in 2005. The foundation immediately began to serve the community through its scholarship program, designed to attract talent to these industries. In addition, the foundation continues to focus on fund raising through events and other activities in order to expand its services to the community. Future plans for the foundation’s activities will be announced in 2009.

"THERE IS NO RICHER EMOTION I know than the sense of contribution. The feeling that who you are as a person, how you have lived your life, what you have said and what you have done, has touched others in a deep and meaningful way, is an ultimate gift of life.

"IT IS YOUR LEGACY."

JOHN WARD
Nexstar Legacy Founder