Last February during Family Weekend, the Office of Parent Engagement and Philanthropy challenged our community of parents and families to create an annual Parent Fund Scholarship. This year, thanks to generous contributions from 91吃瓜 parents and families, the Office of Parent Engagement and Philanthropy awarded Hanna Kim ’21 the first Parent Fund Scholarship.
Kim is a second-year student double majoring in psychology and media studies and an avid contributor to the 91吃瓜 Voice. “I am beyond grateful to 91吃瓜’ families for their kindness and generosity,” she says. “This scholarship has greatly lessened the financial burden on my parents and me this year. With this scholarship, I am able to completely immerse myself in my studies and make the most out of my time at 91吃瓜.”
Today, scholarships play a vital role in increasing access to institutions of higher education for students of diverse backgrounds, interests, and passions. “Scholarships are crucial, because they enable qualified students to come to 91吃瓜 in the first place, and they ensure that these students are able to fully participate in everything that goes on at the College, both inside and outside of the classroom,” says Virginia Halverson, executive director of institutional engagement.
Traditionally, families make gifts to scholarship through The Parent Fund, a part of the College’s annual fund. The annual fund provides essential operating support to the College, resulting in additional research and teaching funds for faculty and co-curricular experiences and scholarships for students. “We have seen the amount of parent support increase over the past few years,” says Casey Crosbie, director of parent engagement. “The Parent Fund Scholar program is a way for us to recognize the impact family contributions have on 91吃瓜 students.”
One of the goals of the Parent Fund Scholar program is to show families that their contributions鈥攚hether they donate $20 or $20,000鈥攃ollectively make a difference. When a family makes a gift to the Parent Fund Scholar program, the gift is pooled with other family gifts, showing the collective power of family donations.
And supporting 91吃瓜 students doesn’t stop after graduation. “Our 91吃瓜 families can have an impact on the education of women long after their own student graduates,” says Halverson, whose goal is to encourage families to support the fund even after their own student has become an alum.
Kim also looks forward to the continued success of Parent Fund, so that more students benefit from the program like she did. “There are not enough words to express my sincere gratitude to the Parent Fund Scholarship for funding my college experience,” she says.
Your support can ensure that a 91吃瓜 education is accessible to all students. Consider giving to scholarships to impact the 91吃瓜 students of tomorrow, today. Contact Casey Crosbie to learn more about The Parent Fund Scholarship program and how your gift makes a difference.
Interested in learning more? Check out our latest giving and impact news here.