As a result of the State Your Purpose Campaign, College of Liberal Arts scholarship recipients have millions of reasons to be thankful. Thanks to the generosity of alumni, faculty and staff, and friends, $14.5 million has been raised in support of College of Liberal Arts scholarships, impacting CSU’s $1 billion fundraising goal, but more importantly, impacting the lives of countless students.
During the course of the Campaign, from August 2012 to June 2020,
- 1,611 students have received a College of Liberal Arts scholarship.
- $3,415,209 in scholarships have been awarded.
- 171 different scholarship funds made an impact on students.
- 2,126 total scholarships were given out.
From art to communication, first-generation to graduation, and everything in between, donors have found ways to express their philanthropic desires and support student learning and success.
Here are a few recent gifts that provide students with scholarships – and opportunities.
Blake Leadership Scholars Program
In 2018, Joe Blake, former chancellor of the CSU System, established the Blake Leadership Scholars Program for high-achieving first-year students with a 4.0 GPA who have demonstrated leadership and civic engagement. “We need to highlight the incredible faculty and excellence we have in the College of Liberal Arts,” Blake says. “And how do you enhance their prestige and their value better than bringing the best young minds for them to light up.”
The long-term goal for this four-year scholars program is clear: to produce the highest quality graduates from Colorado State University’s College of Liberal Arts. “The money is not as important as the opportunity,” Blake says. “We’re really giving several pathways to success. Not just during the four years at Colorado State University, but pathways to success afterwards.”
The first cohort (19-20) is six students, five from Colorado and one from Kansas. The second cohort (20-21) includes 10 students from across Colorado and out of state. Students in each cohort continue to engage with a faculty mentor as well as additional leadership and engagement opportunities.
The Elephant Scholarship
Amy Hoeven (’95) is from a small rural town on the eastern plains and is a fourth generation native of Colorado. After she graduated from CSU with a degree in liberal arts, she used her communications and technical journalism training to pursue a career in communications and community outreach in both the for-profit and non-profit sectors. After seeing a presentation by Dr. Eric Ishiwata, assistant professor of ethnic studies, Hoeven got involved in the First-Generation, Near-Peer Mentoring Program at CSU where first-year, first-generation college students mentor historically marginalized high school studies to help them better understand what college is and how they can benefit from attaining a college degree. In 2017, she was the executive producer of Who I Am, a virtual reality documentary film showcasing the work of first-generation CSU students mentoring immigrant and refugee high school students in Fort Morgan.
“I was floored that this was taking place in my backyard,” says Hoeven. “The more I interacted with students and listened to their stories, the more I understood how my skills and my experience could help raise awareness of the remarkable work taking place in this community. I wanted to tell this amazing story.”
Because of her connection to these students, Hoeven recently endowed a scholarship to support first-generation CSU students from Fort Morgan and Sterling. The first scholarship will be awarded in 20-21.
Mallory Sauer Communication Studies Scholarship
Mallory Sauer was a communication studies alumna with a fashion design and merchandising minor. After she graduated from CSU in 2011, she became a fashion designer and began a blog called Sweet and Sauer. The blog started out solely about fashion, but Mallory began including more personal posts about her health as a way to help other people by sharing her own experiences. She passed away from cancer in 2017. This scholarship honors Mallory and inspires others to make a different with their communication studies.
Johnson Strings Scholarship
Long-time donors Fred and Antonia Johnson gave a recent gift that enhances their current scholarship – and more. The Johnson Strings Scholarship was established by the Johnsons in 2011 to recognize outstanding CSU strings players and honor the Johnsons’ lifelong appreciation for music. Eight students studying violin, viola, or cello have received support from this scholarship.
With their recent bequest, the Johnsons will also establish a scholarship for graduate student strings players, and a scholarship for Music Therapy students. As an emeritus professor of philosophy and avid chamber music player, Dr. Johnson wants to support the musical talents of the students at CSU. Mrs. Johnson believes in the quality education our students receive and wishes to honor their artistic and academic achievements. The couple believes “music is so life affirming to people throughout the world.”
Read about other scholarship support to students from the College of Liberal Arts
The scholarships and the stories don’t stop here. The generosity of our donors and the impact on students is captured across multiple lives in multiple stories.
Thanks a Billion: Scholarships change lives during the State Your Purpose campaign
Alumni & Giving: Get Involved with the College of Liberal Arts
A Billion and Beyond
During the State Your Purpose Campaign, more than 3,000 alumni and friends donated in support of College of Liberal Arts scholarship funds, raising $14.5 million in scholarship support, and proving how gifts of all sizes can make a difference.
Due to the immense impact scholarships have on College of Liberal Arts students, scholarship funding will remain a top fundraising priority. Thanks to the generosity of so many donors during the State Your Purpose Campaign, a liberal arts education is more accessible and affordable for CSU students.
