Scholarship dinner brings donors and students together

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — In these tough economic times, nearly 1,000 Grand Valley State University students are benefiting from more than 200 privately endowed and annually funded scholarships, which are supported by friends, alumni, faculty and staff members, parents and organizations.

The ninth annual Scholarship Dinner tonight is a celebration of the generosity of those donors and a chance for scholarship recipients to meet and thank them. More than 600 people are expected to attend the event in the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel.

MEDIA NOTE:  The Scholarship Dinner is Wednesday, April 2 in the Ambassador Ballroom of the Amway Grand Plaza Hotel. A reception begins at 6 p.m., followed by a dinner at 6:30 and a program around 7:30. Media coverage of the event is welcome. Expected attendees include three Grand Valley presidents — current President Thomas J. Haas and former presidents Mark A. Murray and Arend D. Lubbers. Interviews with donors and students can be arranged. Contact News and Information Services at (616) 331-2221 for more information.

“The scholarships cover nearly every discipline; they reward merit and help with financial need,” said Grand Valley President Thomas J. Haas. “Others carry on the memory and values of loved ones. Many of our scholarships make the difference between a successful education and a long difficult road full of obstacles.”
   
Grand Valley averages about 20 new scholarships per year. Nearly a third of the university’s endowment — close to $20 million — is earmarked for scholarships.

Diane Purgiel, director of Gift Planning at Grand Valley, said that 80 percent of Grand Valley's 23,500 students receive some form of financial aid, and she thanked donors for their generosity. “Even though we have been nationally rated as a 'Best College Buy' for the last 12 years, financial need is still the everyday reality for many students,” Purgiel said. “I truly believe that education is one of the greatest gifts you can give and receive.” 
   
The dinner honors all privately funded scholarships at Grand Valley and annually showcases one area to illustrate how donors are positively impacting education. This year's highlight is international education, and international scholarship donors like Mark and Elizabeth Murray, Stuart Padnos, Jean McFadden and Ben Picciuca will be honored at the dinner. Through its Barbara H. Padnos International Center, Grand Valley sends more than 600 students on study abroad trips each year. The center recently received national recognition from the New York-based Institute of International Education for innovation in its study abroad program.
   
Shantelle Guyton, a 2004 graduate with a degree in international business, will be acknowledged at the dinner. She studied in Japan for a year, thanks to the Barbara H. Padnos Scholarship. Since its inception in 1999, the scholarship program has sent more than 50 Grand Valley students around the globe.
   
“I was one of the only Americans in my program; it was a great cultural exchange for me,” said Guyton. “I came back much better than when I left - much more mature.” Guyton credits that maturity and her study abroad experience for helping her land a job as a financial analyst for MTV in New York City, where her colleagues and staff include graduates of the nation's top universities. 
   
Stuart Padnos, scholarship founder, said a good education includes “getting used to the world as it really is.”
   
“I felt very strongly you have to get immersed in another culture before you can realize the differences and get something out of your experience,” he said.
   
Another new international scholarship is the Mark A. and Elizabeth C. Murray International Travel Fund. Mark Murray was president of Grand Valley from 2001-06, and he said it's important for students to have an international perspective. “I think every business is touched by international competition, every local school, every nonprofit,” he said. “If you don't have some understanding, some engagement with the breadth of the world's interactions, I just don't think you can be as impactful as you could otherwise be.”
   
Maribeth Wardrop, vice president for University Development, said the event highlights reasons why donors support scholarships. “This celebration began with the vision, generosity, passion and even sacrifice of our donors in order to provide a student with an education,” she said. “That education gives hope for a better future.”

Other notable new scholarships:
• A $1 million Coopersville Scholarship fund, available to Coopersville High School graduates who enroll as full-time freshman students at Grand Valley. The fund was founded by Ed and Nancy Hanenburg

• A $1 million scholarship fund created by Tom and Joyce Wisner for engineering students