Words of Gratitude
Every year, students write to scholarship donors to thank them for their life-changing gifts
They’re often the most powerful, meaningful words college students commit to paper. And they won’t even earn them a grade or a spot in a prestigious journal. Every year, CAS scholarship recipients decide to express their gratitude in personal notes to their scholarship donors. They tell them of the impact on their lives, of boundaries taken down, doors opened.
Scholarships change lives and make an array of futures possible. This is why increasing scholarship resources continues to be a top priority at CAS. One of the best ways to increase support for undergraduates is through the Century Challenge, part of the Campaign for BU. When donors establish an endowed undergraduate scholarship fund of $100,000 or greater, BU will match, on a dollar-for-dollar basis, the income distributed from that fund for scholarship purposes for a period of 100 years following the fund’s activation, doubling the good it achieves. There are also other ways to help ensure the best and brightest students have access to a CAS education, including supporting the CAS Dean’s Fund and donating to projects that improve undergraduate education.
Here are a few excerpts from the letters sent by students to donors:
“I started learning new aspects of human behavior through studying personality and mental disorders, and that led me to better understand others and myself. I’ve learned and grown and I know that my college experience would not have been possible without the wonderful support that I have been given at the University. Every day, I am grateful for the scholarships I have been given, because without them, my family would not have been able to afford BU. I am very thankful for your time and contribution to my education and growth.”
—Jess Kupczak (CAS’18), awarded the Esther and Albert Kahn Scholarship
“None of this would be possible without the generous support of donors like you. I originally chose BU because it offered me the exact opposite of my upbringing. Born in a small town, I always craved a big city school. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to attend this amazing institution. I cannot wait to see where BU takes me.”
—Anastasia Barnett (CAS’20), awarded the Goldman Sachs Conigliaro Scholarship
“Boston University wouldn’t be possible [for me] without your contribution to my education. Thank you so much, not just for helping me, but for starting the scholarship in the first place so other students in situations similar to mine can benefit from this University.”
—Jazmin Bello (CAS’18), awarded the Zuckerman Family Scholarship
“I ended up being one of only three people in my class of 180 to go to college outside of Ohio. Choosing BU has been the best decision of my life. I want to thank you. As clichéd as it may sound, it is people like you who help students achieve their dreams.”
—Claire Ozmun (CAS’19), awarded the George and Douglas Blackwood Memorial Scholarship
Two of the scholarships named here were established at CAS as Century Challenge funds. Boston University and CAS have made a priority of keeping a BU education affordable for all students, regardless of their economic circumstances—a challenge for a university with a smaller endowment than most peer institutions. The Century Challenge—which allows donors to add the name of their choosing to the scholarship—is an important way that CAS offers more practical and more meaningful financial aid packages to its undergraduates. The University is providing matching funds for the first $100 million of endowment support pledged to the Century Challenge. Philanthropy has many faces. Philanthropy geared to helping students create their own futures is a special brand of giving that leaves a lasting imprint on the next generation.