More than 400 people attended the annual event, which included donors, scholarship recipients and members of the university community, on the Huntington campus.
Corey Jones, a junior scholarship recipient and theatre production and video production major from Alderson, West Virginia, addressed the audience about “lightbulb” moments that the Brian Angle Leadership Award and J. Kaye Trippy Scholarship in the Fine Arts allowed him to discover.
“While reviewing my time at Marshall University, I realized this school isn’t just for learning academics. What makes it truly remarkable is its ability to teach us (students) about ourselves, our passions, and perhaps most importantly, our aspirations,” Jones said.
Marshall President Jerome A. Gilbert attended the Scholarship Brunch this year in two capacities, not only as a grateful president thanking the donors and but also as a scholarship donor himself, along with his wife, Leigh. Recently establishing the Tommy and Elizabeth Gilbert Scholarship in honor of his parents to help undergraduate students, the Gilberts say they are excited to help students rise to reach their full potential through this award and expressed their utmost respect for scholarship donors’ generosity.
“Scholarship donors are special because they are transforming the world and providing countless opportunities each year,” Gilbert said. “Our donors are like many of today’s students–they have overcome adversity to complete their education because they have made it a priority to rise above the rest. They are an encouragement to our students, faculty and myself.”
Dr. Ron Area, chief executive officer of the Marshall University Foundation said that the theme for this event, “Our Sons and Daughters are on the Rise!” has never been truer.
“Students rise to each opportunity to tell our donors thank you. They are aware of the opportunities that scholarships create and are appreciative for the chance to further their education,” Area said. “Our Sons and Daughters are on the rise with research. They’re competing and winning national competitions. They are getting involved in the Marshall and Huntington communities and striving to pay forward the same generosity that donors have funded them.”
To learn how to establish a scholarship to help students at Marshall rise, contact Krystle Davis at the Marshall University Foundation by phone at 304-696-6781 or by e-mail at krystle.davis@marshall.edu.
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Photo: More than 400 people attended the Marshall University Foundation’s annual scholarship brunch at the Memorial Student Center on the university’s Huntington campus, which allowed privately funded scholarship recipients to meet and thank their donors.