Park alumni Kim Bloomfield ’02 and Ricky Bloomfield ’02 have created the eighth co-named Park Scholarship. An endowment at this level will be matched 100 percent by funds previously given by the Park Foundation and will fund the full cost of one four-year Park Scholarship in perpetuity. This is the third co-named Park Scholarship created by Park alumni and the second given on an NC State Day of Giving.
“Giving back to the program has always been a priority for our family and we see it as a natural step to ensure that future generations of students can benefit from the incredible opportunities afforded by the Park Scholarship and NC State,” the Bloomfields said. They added that they were inspired by the philanthropy of other Park Scholars — particularly the creation of two co-named Park Scholarships by fellow Park alumni — and they did not want to let an NC State Day of Giving pass without the creation of another co-named Park Scholarship.
Kim and Ricky have accomplished a great deal since their days at NC State. Kim graduated with degrees in degrees in chemistry and textile chemistry and worked as a chemist for several years. Since the birth of the couple’s twin daughters, Kim has focused on homeschooling her children. She has remained engaged with the Park Scholarships program, serving on the Regional Selection Committee for many years and on the board of the Park Alumni Society for more than a decade, in turn filling leadership roles as secretary and president.
Ricky, too, has stayed active with the program by serving on the Park Advisory Committee and as a Regional Selection Committee member. He is CEO of G-Whizz! Apps and the Clinical and Health Informatics Lead at Apple, where he follows his passion to harness technology to improve the health of all people. He earned his M.D. at the Brody School of Medicine at East Carolina University, where he was a Brody Scholar, and previously worked as the Director of Mobile Strategy at the Duke University Health System.
When Ricky first arrived at NC State, he wasn’t sure what path his life would take. He has credited the Park Scholarships program with providing him the support and guidance to help him find his way. “Park Scholarships gave me the support and flexibility to explore many paths — I ended up majoring in chemistry and secondary education while getting minors in Spanish and saxophone performance — while making the decision to pursue a career in medicine,” he said. “While cliché, I’m working at Apple because I followed my passion, and the Park Scholarships instilled in me a desire to do just that.”
“We are grateful for the wonderful experiences and growth we had as a part of the Park Scholarship community at NC State. Over our many years of involvement with the program, we’ve seen Park Scholars continue to exemplify scholarship, leadership, service, and character well beyond graduation,” the Bloomfields shared.
As the Park Scholarships program celebrates its 25th year, Park alumni like the Bloomfields demonstrate the importance of investing in remarkable students who repay that support many times over. The Park Scholarships program provides exceptional students opportunities to develop their outstanding potential, preparing them to make lifelong contributions to the university, state, nation, and world.
Please consider supporting future Park Scholars today.