$120,000 In Scholarships To Columbia College Students

Columbia, CA — The Columbia College Foundation will hold its annual Scholarship and Awards Celebration on Thursday afternoon.

The foundation and its community partners will present over $120,000 in scholarships to eligible and deserving students. Director of Development, Amy Nilson, says, “This is one of our favorite days of the year on campus. We’ll be honoring and celebrating all of the students that have qualified for scholarships. This is a really great process in our community. We have dozens of community groups and volunteers who are raising money for scholarships all year long. They come together and help us with the selection process and then come and help celebrate on campus.”

Speakers at the celebration will include 2018 Student of the Year Melissa Murray, a Summerville High graduate, Matthew Burbey, a re-entry student who started a support program for students like himself who were previously incarcerated, and Elsie Bruno, a retired college counselor who was Columbia’s first scholarship coordinator.

Columbia College President, Dr. Angela Fairchilds, says, “I deeply appreciate the generosity of our donors who help support the success of our students through scholarships. For many students, this kind of support is critical in helping them persevere.  The personal stories are very compelling.”

Foundation President, Colette Such, adds, “Though it’s a great amount of work for all who read scholarship applications and choose scholarship recipients, it is truly a labor of love. Their stories often bring us to tears, their work inspires us, and their futures give us hope.”

Thursday’s event will run from 4:30-5:30pm at the Dogwood forum on campus.