Scholarships inspire hope—as do these stories, messages, and videos
Celebration of Scholarships 2021
Held on April 8, 2021, our 12th annual Celebration of Scholarships virtual event brought together students, donors, and University of Rochester leaders. Scholarship students shared their inspiring stories. Donors talked about why they give. And, University leaders discussed why scholarship support is so essential—now and forever. Watch and share the video of this special event, which features remarks from President Sarah Mangelsdorf, a beautiful vocal performance from Jazmine Saunders ’22E, insights from School of Nursing student Sámáriá McClary ’21N, and more.
Celebration of Scholarships 2021
Held on April 8, 2021, our 12th annual Celebration of Scholarships virtual event brought together students, donors, and University of Rochester leaders. Scholarship students shared their inspiring stories. Donors talked about why they give. And, University leaders discussed why scholarship support is so essential—now and forever. Watch and share the video of this special event, which features remarks from President Sarah Mangelsdorf, a beautiful vocal performance from Jazmine Saunders ’22E, insights from School of Nursing student Sámáriá McClary ’21N, and more.
This year marks the 12th anniversary of the University of Rochester’s annual Celebration of Scholarships. Over the years, we have heard remarkable stories from our students—some of which we highlight here. We have also seen firsthand how scholarships have changed their lives and the lives of those around them. Our students inspire us, and so do our scholarship donors—they are making the world ever better through their vision, generosity, and partnership.
Featured stories
Sisters Ranae and Shanae McKenzie have done just about everything together for as long as they can remember. In September 2020, they both started the accelerated baccalaureate program for non-nurses at the University of Rochester’s School of Nursing. They are also scholarship recipients who share a passion for learning, nursing, and helping others.
Olatunde Oshunlaja ’19, a native of Nigeria, was the first recipient of the Ethel V. Drummond Endowed Undergraduate Scholarship in Business Administration. Today, he is thriving—working in his field and living the American dream.
Irene Kaplan ’58 and her scholarship student, Johanna Matulonis ’23, discuss what it was like during historic times for the University—when the men’s and women’s campuses merged in 1955 and what it’s like on campus now during the pandemic.
Travon Walker ’21E, an aspiring opera singer and the recipient of the Lois Smith Rogers Scholarship and the Anne T. Cummins Voice Scholarship, is bringing classical music into middle and high schools through a new, equitable lens.
Sean Bajwa ’18 and Genessis Galindo ’20—a Susan B. Anthony scholarship recipient—were among the first to participate in a recent pilot mentorship match program, which brought together first-generation students and alumni through The Meliora Collective.
Robert Alexander, the dean of undergraduate admissions, financial aid, and enrollment management, offers tips on which courses to take and why—great advice for scholarship recipients and all others.
In their own words
In this video, Jerrell Gray ’21—a recipient of the Cathy E. Minehan and E. Gerald Corrigan Endowed Scholarship—talks about his education, his dreams, and his gratitude.
Click here to view more videos
These six videos feature some of our current students. Learn how being a scholarship recipient has changed their lives. To all our scholarship donors, thank you.
Kelly O’Brien ’22S (MBA)
Steven Dong ’22E
William DiPasquale ’23M (MD)
Darien Dennis ’24
Shanae & Ranae McKenzie ’21N
Jamil Lane, Doctoral Candidate, ’21W
Here are our Celebration of Scholarship videos from the last three years.
Alumni in the Rochester community (2020)
How has your scholarship changed your life? (2019)
Opening doors and changing lives (2018)
Last summer, the University of Rochester launched Together for Rochester, a one-year campaign to make life better for the University community and the world. Supporting students is a key aspect of the campaign. To learn more about the impact of endowed scholarships, read through our 2021 endowment report. Please contact Leslie Zornow, executive director for donor engagement, with any questions.