Greenspring Introduces the Community’s First Endowed Scholarship

Greenspring Introduces the Community’s First Endowed Scholarship

The Steve and Renie Guback Scholarship will be presented for the first time in 2013 to a student focusing on study in the area of communications

(Springfield, Va.) – A generous donation by Greenspring resident Steve Guback has allowed for the establishment of the community’s first endowed scholarship.  Guback, who is a former award-winning sportswriter with The Washington Evening Star, has lived at Greenspring since 2009.  The $100,000 endowed scholarship will result in a $5,000 scholarship annually and will be presented for the first time at the annual Scholars Awards Ceremony at Greenspring on May 29. 

The Steve and Renie Guback Scholarship will be awarded to a student in a field of study focusing on a major or minor in communications including, but not limited to, the fields of journalism and public relations.  The $5000 scholarship will be presented to a full time student each year who is a rising college freshman, an undergraduate, or a graduate student with a minimum GPA of 3.0.  The recipient will be required to perform 150 hours of volunteer service at Greenspring’s Channel 6 television studio learning a variety of skills including manning a video camera, hosting and narrating programs, learning how to edit, and gaining experience being on camera. 

Guback was awarded the Ernie Pyle Scholarship when he attended Indiana University at Bloomington.  The scholarship was awarded to outstanding journalism majors in honor of the former war correspondent.  “I realize how much that helped me so I’ve always been trying to repay that back as much as I can,” said Guback.  In addition to the scholarship at Greenspring, there are three scholarships in Guback’s name at Indiana University. 

Guback spent twenty years writing for The Washington Evening Star covering sporting activities including NCAA basketball championships, over a dozen Super Bowls, heavyweight championship fights, collegiate football bowl games, tennis, baseball, track, and the Washington Redskins.   Guback has also written for the Richmond Times-Dispatch, the Winston-Salem Journal, and has contributed to Newsweek, The Saturday Evening Post, Sporting News, and TV Guide. 

After The Washington Evening Star ceased publication in 1981, Guback worked with the Washington Redskins on special projects for two years and worked for eight years as the Director of Information for the President’s Council on Physical Fitness and Sports.  With the President’s Council, Guback accompanied then-chairman Arnold Schwarzenegger on a 50-state tour promoting youth fitness.  He was inducted into the United States Basketball Writers Hall of Fame in 1989, was elected to the Virginia Sports Hall of Fame in 2005, and was voted the Virginia/DC Sportswriter of the Year three times.  He has served on the Professional Football Hall of Fame Selection Committee, on the Board of Directors for the United States Olympic Committee, as president of the Atlantic Coast Sportswriters Association, and as president and executive director of the United States Basketball Writers Association. 

From the time he retired in 1993 until today, Guback has worked with the Washington Redskins by first writing the play-by-play and now helps with spotting during the games at FedEx Field.  He has been working with the Washington Redskins in some capacity for 54 years since covering his first game in 1959.  At Greenspring, Guback remains active coordinating a Talking Sports group and television program on Greenspring’s Channel 6.  He also gives presentations and hosts a television program called Armchair Traveler, which provides an overview of his worldwide travels with his wife to other residents at the community.

“You have to work hard, be enthusiastic, and do a good job,” said Guback, who offered advice for students pursuing a career in journalism.  “It’s basically a 24-hour-a-day job now.”  Guback also said it is sometimes easy to forget in today’s media environment that it is critical to be truthful.  “You have to give an accurate account,” said Guback.  “Accuracy is more important than timeliness.”

For more information on how to apply for The Steve and Renie Guback Scholarship, please contact Greenspring’s Philanthropy Department at 703-923-3142 or lauren.jones@erickson.com.  The application deadline for the 2013 scholarship is April 1, 2013.

About Greenspring: Greenspring is situated on a scenic 108-acre campus in Springfield, Virginia.  The community is home to nearly 2000 residents, many of which reside in the 1404 independent living apartment-style homes.  At Greenspring, over 200 resident-run and resident-driven programs promote an engaged, fulfilling lifestyle that is reflected in resident satisfaction levels that exceed the industry average.  Life at Greenspring offers a true sense of community and is an exciting alternative to the typical retirement community.  Additional information about Greenspring can be found at www.ericksonliving.com.