"The recipients are well-deserving of their awards," said Barry White, Columbia State Foundation chair. "They all have diverse backgrounds but are working toward the common goal of becoming college graduates."

Recipients of the Mynders Scholarship, the Franklin Soroptimist Scholarship, and the American Association of University Women Scholarship spoke, highlighting reasons the scholarship is important to them. Their stories inspired and moved the audience.

James Pegler, recipient of the Mynders Scholarship, is a history major who plans to graduate in the spring. He is a peer leader, a member of Phi Theta Kappa, and a student worker in the advancement office. With plans to become a college professor, he hopes to attend the University of California at Berkeley.

"The scholarship allows me to focus on my peer leader duties, which in turn allows me to give back to the college and other students in order to help them succeed," Pegler said. "Without the scholarship, I wouldn't be able to help other students."

"Columbia State is truly appreciative of the foundation trustees and donors," said Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president. "Because of them, we are able to provide opportunities for students that will help them achieve their educational goals."

The Columbia State foundation encourages friends, alumni, economic partners and others to invest their time and resources toward the improvement of education at Columbia State and making higher education accessible to students. Academic scholarships are made possible through various donors, fundraisers and programs, such as Planned Giving, which help the foundation achieve its goals.

Photo Caption (DSC_1066): Pictured, left to right: James Pegler; Dr. Janet F. Smith, Columbia State president; Carmen Snider; Jessica Stafford; and Barry White, Columbia State Foundation chair.