As Dickens makes plain in his “Great Expectations,” meeting one’s benefactor is a revelatory experience filled with drama, an event that clarifies the past and future while grounding all involved in the present. In that novel, the interaction is marked by disappointment. On the contrary, delight, good will, and cheer were on display at UHD’s Inaugural Donor Scholarship Luncheon on April 27, as attendees were treated to a springtime meal while Javier “Jay” Zambrano, Vice President for Advancement and University Relations, presided over the event. President Loren J. Blanchard was also in attendance as scholarship recipients were united with the persons who have, in some way, funded their education and future success.

For the donors, it was a celebration of student achievement, a chance to see the fruits of their investments. For students, the moment in which they match a face with the individuals who are helping them achieve their dreams.

One such student, Ian Scott, Risk Management, Myron Steves Directorship Scholarship recipient, said the validation he feels is “unbelievable. When I was in high school, I would do all the work, but I never believed in my work. To receive a scholarship, it helps me feel better about my abilities and [lets me know] that I can actually achieve something.” For her part, Rheanne Banks, Human Resource Management, Ted Bauer Undergraduate Scholarship recipient, said “financially, mentally, and physically, [the scholarship] has impacted me in a positive way. It takes a burden off of me.” 

Mark and Tami Mallett were in attendance with Mrs. Mallett serving as one the luncheon’s featured speakers. The Malletts generously fund three scholarships at UHD: the Mark and Tami Mallett Scholarship, the Mallett Student Teaching Scholarship, and the M. Elizabeth Steen Endowed Scholarship.

During her remarks, Mrs. Mallett said that part of what drew her and her husband to UHD was its focus on first-generation students. Her mother, Elizabeth Steen, was the first in her family to go to college. Speaking poignantly about her mother, Mrs. Mallett said that she and her husband have been “first-hand witnesses to the transformational power of education.” She went on to note the outstanding qualities of UHD scholarship recipients, saying that “the grit and the determination and the intellect of every single scholar that we've met has inspired us to contribute more and more to the University.”

That inspiration is echoed by the recipients of those scholarships. Riley Hardwick, a UHD alumna and scholarship recipient, said that “Money shapes the decisions that we make and the opportunities that we have access to.” With the funds gifted by the donors, however, she said that UHD scholars are “given the freedom to imagine a bigger and bolder future.” 

Many donors noted the unique approach UHD takes to gifts, scholarships, and student success, with Mrs. Mallett saying that “[UHD] comes to us with creative ways to make an impact that we wouldn't have thought of ... They're trying to take every barrier out of the way to get people over the finish line to graduation. And that is impressive.”