Catalyst Paper has donated more than $15,000 to Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department to support a summer internship at Trend Offset, headquartered in Los Alamitos, Calif.

The money was raised during last summer’s annual Doc Stapleton Golf Tournament held in Tustin, Calif.  The late Doc Stapleton was known for his commitment to family and to a career serving the printing industry. The annual tournament fund drive has for years supported Cal Poly’s graphic communication education in printing technology and management.

From these funds, a Doc Stapleton Endowment was established and has accrued more than $130,000. Previously, annual funds from the endowment have gone to scholarships. This year the Endowment Committee, headed by Jim Wright, director of specialty sales for Catalyst Paper, decided to expand the endowment’s reach to also support internships. This will allow bright, upper-division students to work in printing companies, making immediate contributions while also learning the day-to-day operations of the business.

“We are very excited about the new internship program and the ability to partner with Cal Poly and our valued customer Trend Offset,” Wright said. “This is a perfect example of Cal Poly’s philosophy of Learn by Doing.”

Cal Poly Professor Emeritus Red Heesch developed and maintains the endowment. “This new scholarship is a great example of Catalyst Paper’s continuing recognition and support of the students of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department,” said Heesch, president of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Alumni Association. “For the past 15 years, Catalyst has exemplified its commitment to industry by promoting excellence in education through participation and unselfish financial contributions.”

Harvey Levenson, head of Cal Poly’s Graphic Communication Department, said, “This new approach to fund internships as well as scholarships further extends the influence of the endowment. We will continue to provide Doc Stapleton scholarships to help offset the rising cost of education; however, we are now also able to provide an immediate return to supporting companies by having our well-educated students share their insights and ideas even before they graduate.”