Nearly 200 people recently gathered at Walton Arts Center for the college’s annual Scholarship Recipients and Benefactors Luncheon.
The signature event allows the college to congratulate students on their academic achievements and celebrate the benefactors who generously support them.
Dean Kate Mamiseishvili introduced each benefactor who was present and noted that their investment would transform the lives of the student recipients, but said it goes beyond that. “You have invested in students who are training to become future educators and healthcare professionals. Educators and healthcare professionals build the foundation for every person’s success, economic prosperity and well-being,” she said. “By investing in students who have chosen careers in education and healthcare, you are also investing in every person they will teach, heal, coach, train and inspire for generations to come.”
Mamiseishvili encouraged those sitting with a benefactor to ask what inspired them to establish a scholarship and learn more about the people they’ve honored through that gift.
The college has 117 unique scholarships. This academic year, nearly $770,000 was awarded in privately funded scholarships to 140 deserving students who have chosen careers in the caring professions.
Mamiseishvili remarked that if she asked each guest to think about a person, outside of their family and friend circles, who made the most significant impact on their life, it would likely be a teacher who inspired their curiosity and love for learning. “Or you’ll think about your coach who instilled confidence in you and helped you develop not only athletic skills but also character and integrity,” she said. “Or it will be your counselor who acted as your support system and helped you live a happier life. Or it will be a nurse who comforted you or your family member when you were confused and scared in the doctor’s office. Or it will be your therapist or trainer who helped you adapt to life’s challenging circumstances and overcome a disability or an injury. These are the professions our students are preparing for. We are incredibly proud of all of you.”
University of Arkansas Chancellor Charles Robinson attended the event among other honored guests. Mamiseishvili noted, “We appreciate your commitment to student success and your leadership in promoting access and opportunity, which are critical to the values of the land grant university. Thank you for being here not only to celebrate the achievements of our students but also to recognize the benefactors who have promoted access and opportunity for these deserving students on our campus.”
Fran Hagstrom, emerita faculty member and founding head of the college’s Department of Communication Disorders and Occupational Therapy, was the featured speaker. She shared how scholarships she received as an undergraduate and graduate student changed her life and, in turn, the lives of others along her career journey. She shared a poignant story about a young boy she worked with who had Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
She said to benefactors in the room, “Your support is changing the educational possibilities, opportunities and pathways of our scholarship recipients. And I want to affirm that your support will touch not just one life but generations.”
Arllyn Hernandez, an alumna who now teaches at Harp Elementary in Springdale, spoke on behalf of student recipients.
“One of the most unexpected gifts of my college experience was discovering my passion for teaching kindergarten,” she said. “During my internship year, I was placed in a kindergarten classroom — and fell in love with it. These experiences, made possible through the financial aid I received, helped me find my true calling.”
Benefactors who attended the event included Bob and Becky Alexander, Charles and Anne Allen, Freddie Bowles, Carolyn Brooks, Margaret Clark, Annette Digby, John and Eileen Donaldson, Alice Fletcher, Al Gordon, Reed Greenwood, Fred and Nancy Grimes, Scott and Tina Howlett, Steve and Kandy Johnson, Ann Karkoska, Douglas Moore and Marti Scharlau, Kathy Simmons, Tom and Debi Smith, Kathy Swann, Lance Taylor, Betty Wallace, Jim and Kathy Wright, Mark and Kim Zembsch, and Ann Ziegler.
Visit the college’s Facebook page to see more photos from the event.
