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It’s amazing how times have changed at Fredonia when it comes to scholarships offered to its students.

In 1985, Fredonia held its first scholars breakfast in the Cranston Dining Hall. At that time, 87 students received a total of $17,000 in scholarship awards.

Fast forward to this past Saturday, when almost 1,300 people filled Steele Hall to congratulate this year’s scholarship recipients, and thank the benefactors who generously started or developed endowments.  Each student who received a scholarship was named individually. Most importantly, the recipients and donors had the opportunity to discuss how those scholarship awards are making a difference to the students.

“There is no question about how important scholarship opportunities are to helping provide access to higher education for our students,” said Betty Gossett, interim vice president for University Advancement and interim executive director of the Fredonia College Foundation. “By the strength of great institutional programming and the generosity of our donors and friends, Fredonia is able to a large portion of our student body with some type of financial aid.”

The scholarships awarded by Fredonia now show the tremendous growth of student support.This year, the Fredonia College Foundation has awarded $2.2 million through 445 scholarships.That number compliments the $4 million worth of scholarships awarded to another 400 students.

“It is heartening to know that gifts received through the Fredonia College Foundation have helped sustain academic excellence, and support and reward outstanding student scholars,” said President Virginia Horvath. “More than ever, we need a society characterized by the four baccalaureate goals we have here at Fredonia. People who are skilled, connected, creative, and responsible.”

The scholarships can have a profound impact on the students who receive them. “Getting a scholarship means someone believes in you,” Latrell Tyson, a junior majoring in Business Administration and Communication, told the capacity crowd. “I don’t know anybody who would invest their time, money, and effort toward someone or something they think would fail.”

“Know that by you being here today, it means someone thinks you’ll be successful no matter what path you’re embarking on,” said Tyson, who received the Mamie and Ira Jordan Scholarship and the Keeper of the Dream scholarship. 

The feeling of success that students feel in receiving the scholarships also is reflected by those who have helped develop endowments. “The unfolding potential is very much a shared legacy,” said Dr. Harold Johnson, benefactor of the Helen L. Johnson Fredonia-Hamburg Internship Program. “The scholarship recipient is the focus of that legacy, the dividend of the donor’s investment. Each scholarship recipient here is the unfolding legacy of the donor. You are, for us, a legacy for which we thank you.”