Marshall University donors and current recipients of privately funded scholarships were honored recently at the Scholarship Honor Brunch in the Memorial Student Center’s Don Morris Room on the Huntington campus.
The event, sponsored by the Marshall University Foundation Inc., was attended by a record crowd of more than 400 people. Marshall President Stephen J. Kopp spoke on “The Impact of Scholarships,” and Dr. Ron Area, CEO of the MU Foundation Inc., served as master of ceremonies.
Other speakers included students Joycelyn Morton, a sophomore from Bluefield, WV, and Ellen Castro, a freshman from Huntington.
“Because of them, I am able to afford the necessities I need to succeed at Marshall University,” a grateful Morton said, referring to the donors. She said her education at Marshall will assist her in her dreams of “going to medical school and becoming a medical examiner.”
Kopp said today’s event was “a celebration of the importance of our scholarship donors to the future of Marshall University and our students.”
“When you look at the relationship and the correlation between the students who attend Marshall and are assisted through scholarship support and the completion of their college education and earning their degree, it is a direct correlation. Scholarship support is often the difference between being able to attend college here at Marshall, and earn your degree, or not. We certainly can’t thank our scholarship donors enough for what they’re doing for the futures of our students and graduates. They are the future of West Virginia, and they’re the future of America. Investing in their success is an investment in all of our futures.”
Area said of the brunch, “This is the best response we’ve ever received from students and donors. This just proves the importance of scholarships to the Marshall campus and the impact that they continue to have.”
He said that over the past five years, Marshall has had a significant increase in the number of scholarships that have been available to students.
“And, with the cost of a college education sometimes increasing so quickly, these scholarships are invaluable to these students and the future of our Marshall students,” Area said. “That’s why we are grateful for the participation of our alumni and friends in becoming donors, and we are totally indebted to the people who are making a difference in the lives of our students.”
