Interim Vice Provost Kurt Zorn and OVPUE staff hosted a Scholarship Reception in the IMU Georgian Room on the afternoon of Sunday, October 3rd. An invitation was extended to more than 80 undergraduate students that received a scholarship through the Office of Engaged Learning, the Center for Students in Transition, and the Health Professions & Prelaw Center. Staff representatives from these units greeted and visited with students that were awarded funding, making face to face contact with several of the celebrated students for the first time.
The event provides an opportunity for OVPUE administration to publicly celebrate the achievements of these students, and allow for the attendees to applaud one another. Vice Provost Zorn shared a brief biography on each student, where many of the Student in Transition recipients expressed goals to “better the community”, “move humanity forward”, or serve as an example to his/her family that they too can earn a baccalaureate degree.
Undergraduate Research Scholars were celebrated for their investment in far-reaching topics such as work in a Molecular and Cellular Biochemistry lab, African American history in Indiana, linguistics research, and Indiana Political Analytics Workshop Summer Program. Several of the student’s mentors were also present at the event, allowing OVPUE to extend gratitude for their willingness to take on undergraduate students in their labs and serve as instrumental mentors.
A STEM Summer Research Program recipient shared that the 8-week residential research program that provides free housing, meals, and a stipend to students, introduced him to new fields of knowledge and helped him better understand how research is conducted and how new knowledge is discovered and disseminated.
The event also reinforces the culture of philanthropy to recipients. Each of the scholarships originated from a desire to help students succeed in their goal of obtaining experiences and a degree from Indiana University. Many of the OVPUE scholarship funds are active funds open to anyone to contribute to. You can learn more about supporting OVPUE students and OVPUE’s mission on the OVPUE website.
Students were invited to share their #ThanksToIUDonors at the event, and you can view some of those comments through these pictures:
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