Alfonso Rasch-Isla Scholarship Endowment

Alfonso Rasch-Isla was a friend of Hilde and Walter Heyman of Saginaw, who are memorialized with the Hilde and Walter Heyman Scholarship Endowment at Delta College. Hilde and Walter, both of Jewish origin, were born and raised in Germany. Alfonso was the son of a Colombian diplomat in Germany, and Alfonso and Hilde’s brother, Werner, were business partners who imported coffee from Colombia to Germany. Walter and Hilde escaped Germany in 1938 during the reign of Adolf Hitler, and Alfonso and his family took them in prior to their escape, helping with food and supplies. Hilde credited these kind people with keeping her and Walter alive during a very tough period. Hilde Heyman left a gift in her estate to establish this endowment in honor of her friend.