For many individuals it is clear that in today’s highly competitive job market a college degree is becoming an expectation rather than a preference.  With the costs of higher education ever on the rise, it is becoming increasingly more difficult for students to finance the college journey that will open the door for them to follow their passion and reach their potential.

Every year thousands of alumni and friends of Missouri State University step forward to help students take their journey by assisting with their college costs through donor-funded scholarships.  At Missouri State roughly 140 of these funds are known as endowed non-departmental scholarships, which are not awarded based on a student’s program of study, but instead on factors such as academic achievements, financial need, extracurricular involvement, and the high school they attended.

With those 140 funds providing over $400,000 for nearly 300 scholarships that benefitted 275 students in the 2011-2012 academic year, there certainly was reason to celebrate.  On April 10, 2012 over 150 donors, students, family, faculty, and staff attended the Endowed Scholarship Appreciation Dinner at the Plaster Student Union.

Every year the Endowed Scholarship Appreciation Dinner gives the University and students the opportunity to show their gratitude for the incredible generosity of donors that helped fund those students’ college journeys.  The event also offers a chance to recognize the accomplishments of the students receiving those awards, and provides a forum for donors and student-beneficiaries to connect.

The evening’s formal program kicked off with remarks from the dinner’s host – Vice President of University Advancement and Executive Director of the Missouri State University Foundation, Brent Dunn.  Dunn recalled his own college career at Missouri State University, and noted how scholarships just like the ones being recognized at the event helped finance his own college career that put him on the path to where he is today.  Missouri State University Interim President, Clif Smart, also spoke at the event, thanking donors for their kindness and noting how important their role is in an increasing number of students’ lives.

The Dinner also featured the debut of a new student-produced video titled “The Missouri State Journey”, which highlights three current MSU students and how their journeys were changed by donor-funded scholarships.

Watch “The Missouri State Journey” and hear the stories of Jamal, Kara, and Iyshia.

[youTubeVideo url=”http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-zIVsz62hdQ” width=”638″ height=”338″]