The annual Endowed Scholarship Appreciation Dinner brings together donors, scholarship recipients, and University staff.  This event recognizes our outstanding endowed scholarship recipients and the donors that have funded those awards.  Bringing the donors back to campus, especially the last few years, allows us to show the physical growth and changes that have happened here at Missouri State University.  Events like this one are sometimes our donors only opportunity to put a face and name to our student population and connect with them.

At this year’s dinner, we heard an update from scholarship recipient Rachael Davis.  She received two Foundation scholarships, the Grace Gardener Endowed Scholarship for Study Abroad and the V. A. Dobyns Scholarship Award for the 2015-2016 academic year.  Rachael had recently returned from studying abroad. During her time abroad, we spoke to her on Skype to see how it was going.

On the night of the scholarship dinner, Rachael was in traditional Korean dress.  She shared her experiences with President Smart on stage and explained the impact the trip had on her academic and future career.  Graduating in December with her degree in Criminology and Cybersecurity and a Korean minor, Rachael hopes to pursue a career in criminal justice.  The privately funded scholarships that Rachael received allowed her to follow her dream of traveling abroad to Korea.

Rachael’s story played out in a Skype video and on stage for the other attendees to see, but it also happened time and time again around the room. Each table had a mix of students and donors. The students talked about what their scholarship did for them. Donors talked about their love for the University and gave advice to students about the future. Both students and their donors have a story to tell about how private giving has impacted their lives. At this event, they get the opportunity to share it with one another.