Principal Elizabeth Gerling
Principal Elizabeth Gerling
UTICA — The Elizabeth Gerling Legacy Scholarship Fund has been established at the Community Foundation of Herkimer and Oneida Counties to honor the life of Columbus Elementary School principal Elizabeth Gerling, according to Foundation officials.
Gerling’s compassion, strength and dedication left an enduring impact on those who knew her and for future generations, officials said.
The fund will provide annual scholarships in honor of Gerling to graduating seniors from Proctor High School that attended Columbus Elementary School to help them pursue their educational goals and build brighter futures. Eligible scholarship applicants are required to be enrolled at an accredited college, university or a continuing education vocational program, technical school or certificate program.
“Growing up, I watched my mom pour her heart into her work at Proctor High School and Columbus Elementary. She believed in every student and gave them everything she had — her time, care and belief in their potential,” said Noah Gerling, Gerling’s son. “I’ve always been proud to be her son, but knowing this scholarship will help the same students she devoted her life to makes me even prouder.”
Gerling’s career started in New Mexico on a Navajo Reservation in 1999, where she taught for five years. Then she returned to the Utica area in 2004, where she taught English in the Utica City School District and would eventually become assistant principal of Proctor High School. She accepted the position of principal at Utica’s Columbus Elementary School in 2013.
Foundation officials said she enjoyed the camaraderie of all the teachers and staff and adored the students that she got to be with every day.
There will be a special Legacy Dinner honoring Gerling on June 13 at Hart’s Hill Inn at 135 Clinton St., Whitesboro.
To contribute to the fund, visit www.foundationhoc.org/gerling. Checks can be mailed to the Elizabeth Gerling Scholarship Fund at 2608 Genesee St., Utica, 13502.
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