Changing Lives Through Dickinson
Peter Guma ’24 , Vince ’80 and Mimi Sheehy, Mackenzie Brielmann '23 and President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11, spoke about the power of scholarships during the event. Photo by Joe O'Neill.
Regional scholarship event brings donors, students together
Alumni, parents and friends of the college from Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia gathered in Vienna, Va., last Saturday for a unique celebration of Dickinson scholarships. Some had established named scholarship funds that support several students each year, and others helped make a Dickinson education possible to one student each year. All have affected an indelible difference at the college and in the lives of talented young Dickinsonians who are preparing to contribute meaningfully to our wider world.
“Every year, students are able to enroll at Dickinson because of donors like you who believe in the value of a Dickinson education,” said President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11, who recently called five high-school students in war-torn Ukraine to share the good news that they’d been awarded full Dickinson scholarships. “Together, we have the power to make a meaningful difference in the lives of talented young people who are the future of our college and our world.”
Held at the Westwood Country Club, the scholarship event was a departure from the college’s traditional on-campus scholarship celebration—and an opportunity for some of the Dickinson benefactors, who may not often visit campus, to connect with fellow D.C.-metro Dickinsonians on their home turf. It was hosted by Vince ’80 and Mimi Sheehy, who support 10 students each year through the Vincent Sheehy Annual Scholarship.
The event included remarks by Jones and by Vince Sheehy, who spoke about the ways that Dickinson philanthropy enriches the lives of donors. Two students then discussed their own experiences as scholarship recipients.
Peter Guma ’24 is a double major in mathematics and Russian, a native of Vienna, Va., and a recipient of the Reynolds Family Scholarship. He shared what he learned while studying abroad in Norwich, U.K., and through his experiences as a presidential fellow, which connected him with alumni from around the world. Through those conversations, he learned that many are eager to keep that cycle of excellence and innovation going by providing scholarship support. Mackenzie Brielmann '23, a third-generation Dickinsonian and double major in psychology and dance, explained the deep impacts of those gifts.
“I would not have been able to attend Dickinson without scholarship support, so I think I owe about as much thanks to Dr. Lois Price Piper and Mrs. Helen Bott, who established my scholarships, as I do to Dickinson for the confidence, clarity and compassion that will help me get a well-grounded start in that wider world,” said Brielmann, an Office of Admissions intern, tour guide and recipient of the J. Cameron & Helen Frendlich and the Lois Pauley Piper scholarships.
All of the alumni, parents and friends of the college who currently give toward scholarship initiatives contribute to Dickinson’s ongoing Campaign for Scholarships—a multiyear initiative that aims to provide scholarship support to every admitted student who needs it. At the time of the celebration, alumni, staff, parents and friends of the college had contributed toward scholarships for 1,800 students—and had reached nearly two-thirds of the campaign’s ambitious goal. (Three days later, Dickinsonians added more than $700K in scholarship support during the college’s 2023 Day of Giving.)
Carlo Robustelli, vice president for advancement, thanked the alumni and parent donors at the scholarship event and invited them to seize the opportunity to chat with the eight students in attendance, who could share more about the ways donor generosity is felt on campus today.
“All of you are believers in the value of supporting and encouraging students who are working hard to complete their Dickinson degrees,” Robustelli said. “We are deeply grateful for your commitment and support for scholarships at Dickinson, and we hope that you will encourage others to join you as you change lives through the college.”
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Published April 4, 2023