Current Giving Stories

The Bodycombs Linda Bodycomb almost fell through the cracks. When she was a student, she worked full-time as a waitress to pay for college and it took its toll.

Stephanie Franklin
"Receiving the scholarship was a great honor! I was very excited because, at the time, my need for financial assistance had largely increased after an expected scholarship from the state fell through."

Cheryl White
“Being a non-traditional student has been both a benefit and a detriment,” Cheryl White simply states.

ethan John Greely '07
Students come to St. Mary’s mainly for academic reasons, yet one in seven competes on a varsity athletic team and many more participate in club, intramural, or recreational opportunities.

Scott Thrumburg Scott Humburg
In Scott Humburg’s closet a classic black tuxedo hangs next to camouflage fatigues. Depending on the day and the task at hand, Scott dons one or the other.

Teresa Wren
Years ago my late husband and I tried to sell a piece of real estate during a down market. We had owned the property for many years and it had appreciated quite a bit. When the property didn’t sell our accountant suggested an alternative: donate it to a non-profit organization and receive a charitable tax deduction.

Black Student Union Scholarship Donors Students for Scholarship: Black Student Union (BSU)
It’s not unusual for the College’s Development Office to be approached by a donor who wants to establish a new scholarship. It is, however, unusual for us to get such a request from a student club.

Beth Luginbill '06
"As students we are encouraged to give back to the community,” said Elizabeth Luginbill, a 2006 cum laude grad. “Each of my volunteering activities gave me real-world experience and perspective that can be lacking in lives of so many young people. I learned a lot from everything I did.”

The May Russell Lodge Dedication The May Russel Lodge
"To me and my cousins, May was our own Auntie Mame, and when she rolled into town, as they said in the stage play, doors were definitely going to open for us."

Ethan Elliott
Ethan’s interest in physics expanded with a summer research opportunity at Patuxent River Naval Air Station (NAVAIR), made possible through the Weitzel Scholars Fund, which supports undergraduate summer research in the sciences.

Office of Development > Giving Stories

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Students for Scholarship:
the Black Student Union (BSU) Scholarship

Sherrie Robinson Bailey, Katrice Pitts, and Brenda Robinson Yates

At their first scholarship dinner, the BSU raised just over $3,000 for the new Student of Excellence Scholarship Fund. From the left: Sherrie Robinson Bailey '81, SMCM Board of Trustees; Katrice Pitts '07, Black Student Union president; and Brenda Robinson Yates '85, Black Alumni Chapter president.

It's not unusual for the College's Development Office to be approached by a donor who wants to establish a new scholarship. It is, however, unusual for us to get such a request from a student club.

"We felt that it was our duty to connect to our peers and the community around us," said India Martin '07secretary of the Black Student Union (BSU). "Our inspiration for this scholarship came from the service-based mission the BSU has."

The idea of the scholarship began with last year's executive board and came to fruition under the tutelage of India and Katrice Pitts '07 president of the BSU.

"We have a couple of first generation college students in the BSU (including myself), and many who have personally talked about the cost and problems with paying for college," said Katrice. "We knew we could not offer a huge scholarship, but could at least alleviate some of the smaller costs like books or other expenses."

To kick-start funding for the new Student of Excellence Scholarship Fund, the club hosted the first BSU Scholarship Dinner in February. "We were trying to find a way to have one big event totally dedicated to raising money for the scholarship," said Katrice. "We did not know how hard it would be planning a banquet that requires a lot of procedures when inviting alumni, trustees, and faculty/staff. However, at this point it was completely worth it, because we have managed to raise enough to support the scholarship until the year 2013." The scholarship is for $500 and in not renewable - a new student recipient will be chosen each year.

The BSU is a student-run club whose goal is to effectively communicate the academic, cultural, and social needs of minority students within the college community. The club regularly sponsor lectures and cultural activities to promote awareness of black culture for the college and St. Mary's community.

If you are interested in contributing to this scholarship, visit www.smcm.edu. At the top right of the page is a gray "Quick Find" pull down menu. Click on "Online gift form." On page two, under "Gift Designation," check the "Other" button and fill in "BSU Scholarship."

Current Giving Stories

Give to SMCM

Students for Scholarship: the Black Student Union (BSU) Scholarship

Give to
SMCM

Students for Scholarship:
the Black Student Union (BSU) Scholarship