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Ninety-three percent of all Â鶹¹ÙÍø students receive institutional scholarships and/or grants from the university, amounting to more than $20 million in endowed scholarships awarded universitywide each year — and that makes for a lot of room to say thank you.

This past February, students who received scholarships took the opportunity to show some love to their scholarship donors with personal notes of thanks. (It wasn’t a coincidence that the event took place on Valentine’s Day.)

The event took place in the morning at the gallery in John J. Bowen Center and in the afternoon in the lobby of the Cuisinart Center for Culinary Excellence. After penning their letters, students enjoyed doughnuts, coffee and games. They were also able to pose for a complimentary headshot, perfect for updating their LinkedIn profile pictures. As a parting gift, they received swag bags filled with goodies such as stickers, business card holders, laundry bags and other useful items for dorm life.

"Every bit has helped, and now I get the opportunity to thank the person who’s helping me with my education."

But the true highlight of the event wasn’t the free goodies — it was the chance to personally connect with the donors who help make their education possible.

“I just really wanted to say thank you,” said Ashleigh Zschoche '21. “I’m so far from home and it’s a lot of money to go to school. Every bit has helped, and now I get the opportunity to thank the person who’s helping me with my education.”

In her letter, she wrote: “Thank you for helping me realize my love for my major and Â鶹¹ÙÍø. Your support has helped me land an internship at Universal Studios in Orlando.”

Zschoche is a Tourism and Hospitality Management major who received the Renaissance Scholars Endowed Scholarship.

The theme carried throughout the day as students agreed that the first thing they really wanted to say to their scholarship donors was simply “thank you.”

“I just really appreciate it — I can’t explain how happy I am about it!” Elvinia Conceicao '21 said of her scholarship.