Dickinson Celebrates Scholarships, Donors With Virtual Event

Scholarship event image

Scholarship event image

Virtual event connects donors with students they support

Dickinson hosted Celebrating the Impact of Scholarships Tuesday, April 27, bringing together donors and students for a virtual event highlighting the importance of gifts supporting scholarships and financial aid. Emceed by Student Senate President Phil Butler '21 (policy management), the program presented speeches from President Margee Ensign, Board of Trustees Chair John Jones '77, P'11, Assistant Women's Lacrosse Coach and Assistant Director of the McAndrews Fund Sunnie Ko '11, Professor of English and endowed scholarship donor Wendy Moffat, and alumni donors Eric '78 and Kyle Evans '78 as well as video features on scholarship recipients Ruby Ngo '22 (quantitative economicsmusic) and Jasmin Lopez '19.

"I offer my deepest thanks for your support," Ensign told donors. "And I know that when you fund an individual student, you're not just funding that student. You're truly funding the future, because at this moment in time, a Dickinson education is what's needed. We're creating those new leaders, those engaged citizens for our country and for the world."

During the event, students like Butler and Ngo highlighted the transformational power of the Dickinson experience and the importance of financial aid in making that experience possible. "Access to Dickinson is about ... becoming part of a community that pushes you to find your talents and your drive," said Butler, noting how Dickinson helped him come out of his "comfort zone," branching out from being a Red Devil football player to getting involved in community service and student leadership.

Alumni like Ko and the Evanses reminded the audience that graduates must remember the important role others played in their development and try to play that same role for today's students. "Life isn't just a steppingstone where you leave behind all the places where you've been," said Ko. "You have to reinvest in all the places that touched you."

But they also stressed that supporting scholarships at Dickinson is about more than just supporting the college. Because the Dickinson education prepares graduates to make a positive impact beyond campus, they noted, the impact of each scholarship gift goes much farther than the limestone walls.

"Through the caliber of intellect, commitment to social justice issues, environmental issues, [and] global challenges, the college has continued, I think, to set the bar very high," said Kyle Evans. "And I think scholarship support is a great way to offer sustainability to opportunities for those who otherwise wouldn’t be able to attend a school like Dickinson."

Following the speakers and the video features, the event gave donors the chance to learn about the impact of their gifts directly from students. Participants convened in video break-out conferences, during which current students shared their own stories of how scholarship support and Dickinson have shaped their lives.

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Published April 27, 2021