NORMAL, Ill.- Appreciative scholarship recipients at Illinois State University wrote letters to their donors at Thank-A-Donor Days on Sept. 20 and 21 at the Bowling and Billiards Center.
Laptops were set up for students to not only type their letters, but to learn more information about their scholarship and donors. Students had the opportunity to take photos in a photo booth to include with their letter. Following letter and photo completion, students collected free t-shirts and complimentary food.
Joel Hollingworth, a senior, received a scholarship through the Department of Agriculture. He said that getting the chance to thank donors is the least students could do.
“It’s great that ISU has this event so we can show what these scholarships allow us to do. My scholarship money makes my life so much easier because I don’t have to worry about how I’m going to pay for school. I’ve been paying for my own education, and scholarships are what keep me here.”
Elena Roth, a junior, told her donor how the scholarship she received is the reason she can achieve her dream of completing her Bachelor’s Degree.
“I wasn’t sure if I would be able to come back to school next semester. Money is really tight at home, and even though I’m working two jobs on campus, it still isn’t enough. The scholarship I got saved me from having to consider dropping out. Because of it, I can stay here and not worry about not graduating. I seriously don’t know what I would do without the money I was awarded.”
Volunteer staff was also present at Thank-A-Donor Days to help students write their letters and edit them before printing the letters out.
Emily Bozich said she volunteered to help students write their letters because she thinks it’s important to show appreciation for the donors that keep giving back.
“I want donors to feel like what they’re doing is making a difference. I received a lot of scholarships when I was here at ISU, and I always wrote letters to the scholarship donor. I feel good helping students show their appreciation through a simple letter that could make a donor’s day. If donors feel like they matter, then they’ll continue to give scholarships.”
ISU offers hundreds of scholarships annually to all students. Scholarships can range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Vanessa Vandermeer said that every little bit counts towards her education.
“I didn’t receive one of the huge scholarships through ISU this year. My scholarship was small, but it doesn’t matter to me because it still covered my book expenses for one of my classes. My textbook was almost $300 and that would’ve been two paychecks at my job before I could afford that. It doesn’t matter how big or small the scholarship is, because any money helps. I’m still thankful.”
Madison Ballard COM 165 