Grateful Redbirds wrote letters to those who have supported their ISU journey at the second annual Thank-A-Donor Days.
Students were assisted by volunteer staff at the Bowling and Billiards Center in the writing and editing process. Upon completing their letter, they had a chance to get their photo taken so that it can be sent to the donor with their letter. Students also had the opportunity to learn about the history of donors at Illinois State and how they have helped people just like them.
Mariah Moran ’19 was thankful for receiving the Lewis and Mills Endowed Scholarship for the second year in a row. She said that the scholarship has been instrumental in paying for all of the materials that she needs to be successful.
“In my letter I told my donors how thankful I am and how grateful I am,” Moran said. “It is literally a blessing that someone would want to invest in you and put their money and efforts into you so that you can succeed.”
Kylie Fuller ’18 says that receiving the Joslin Scholarship Fund has helped ease the financial burden on her family, as she was one in a set of triplets who are all going to college at the same time.
“I told my donor about why I chose nursing, which was my mom and seeing all the impact she had on her patients,” Fuller said. “I told them thank you and that I look forward to staying in touch with them over the years.”
Taylor Knowles ’18 said that the Barbara G. Wiltberger Scholarship will help her realize her dream of becoming a music teacher in the Chicago Public School system.
“Those students deserve the best education from the best teachers,” Knowles said. “This scholarship well help me reach those students.
Andrew Alexander ’21 received the Shulman Scholarship and is well on his way to the path of becoming a high school chemistry teacher. It has also opened up avenues of employment here at Illinois State.
“The scholarship really prevented so much stress,” Alexander said. “Because of it I am able to (work) a job while studying at ISU that I enjoy, which is working as a chemistry tutor.”
Scholarship Rising is one of three pillars of focus for Redbirds Rising: The Campaign for Illinois State. To learn more about scholarships at ISU, check out the Scholarships Rising page on our Redbirds Rising website.
