Gratitude has been the recurring theme of the annual Washtenaw Community College Foundation Scholarship Luncheon for many years. This year was no different.
Held in late September, the WCC Foundation Scholarship Luncheon gives students a rare opportunity to thank their donors in person and allows the donors to meet the students and to hear the impact their generosity has on students’ lives.
“I don’t know how I’d be able to go to school without this scholarship,” said Lamar Turner, who received the Anthony Procassini Scholarship and underwent heart surgery in the two weeks leading up to the luncheon. “There’s no way I could miss this event. I want to thank every donor who sees the potential in us. It’s an extreme blessing, so please keep giving to students like me.”
For Tabetha Chaney, who’s working toward earning her GED, the WCC Foundation Scholarship gave her “peace of mind” and helped her understand she was “more than her circumstances.”
“I’m evolving into better versions of myself,” she said.
Throughout the year, the WCC Foundation awards more than 1,000 scholarships. This year alone, the Foundation completed nine new endowments.
Each student who took the podium was a testament that even the smallest scholarship can make a big difference.
Film student Joseph Dinda, who received the Morris J. Lawrence Memorial Scholarship, knows this firsthand but almost didn’t apply.
“I thought, ‘What are the chances?’” he said. “Receiving this scholarship boosted my confidence and inspired me to keep going. It’s like having a team in my corner cheering me on and encouraging me to succeed.”
To make a gift, visit wccnet.edu/foundation/give.
By Princess Gabbara
Writer, Public Relations