Appreciation and examples of impact shared at virtual scholarship dinner
"Receiving a scholarship has allowed me to invest my time on campus, serving Purdue students and getting involved with organizations,” said Molly Grotjan during the virtual College of Agriculture Scholarship Dinner. “I’m grateful to those that continue to invest in the students and our college to ensure we can contribute to something greater than ourselves. Because of them, we can continue to make an impact on campus, serve others and learn the heart of being a Boilermaker.”
Like 60 percent of the college’s students, Grotjan has received scholarship support, made possible by nearly 400 donors.
Kyle Bymaster “The goal of the annual scholarship dinner, the number one priority for us, is to connect donors with the students who received their scholarships,” explained the college’s chief development officer Kyle Bymaster.
Traditionally held in-person, this year’s virtual event included messages from leaders of the college and a live student discussion panel. In the upcoming weeks, virtual meetings will be held between individual donors and scholarship recipients.
“Donors are directly impacting students’ lives and future livelihoods,” said Bymaster. “They are going to graduate from Purdue University and be well-rounded, globally-prepared individuals that will go out and lead the agricultural industry as we work to feed a growing population worldwide.”
Halee Fisher, a sophomore studying agricultural economics and political science, participated in the panel. Fisher has traveled to Mexico and Peru to study food insecurity.
“As someone looking at graduate school in the future, scholarships have taken a huge weight off my shoulders,” Fisher said. “I can start saving for that instead of worrying about the burden. Scholarships have also allowed me to take part in wonderful things like study abroad.”
“The opportunities donors have provided make a tremendous difference for our students,” said Karen Plaut, the Glenn W. Sample Dean of the College of Agriculture. “They allow students to come back, be in a residential experience and enjoy the opportunity to be here and learn from our fabulous professors and staff. Thank you so much for what you have done.”
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