Scholarship reception honors donors, recipients

The College of DuPage Foundation honored both scholarship donors and recipients during its annual fall Scholarship Reception.

“College of DuPage is our community's college,” said Hank Steinbrecher, president of the COD Foundation Board. “This means it belongs to us and we need to nurture it and our students. Scholarships to attend College of DuPage are fundamentally important to the success of our community, as 66 percent of all students who graduate from COD stay in the DuPage area to serve our community.”

The Foundation awards nearly $350,000 in student scholarships annually. During the recent event, donors met with the recipients of their scholarships and shared stories with each other, Foundation Board members and the audience.

Kimberly Jackson of Countryside received the $1,500 CDW Women in Technology scholarship. Without this money, she would not be able to attend college.

“When I opened up my letter, it was like winning the lottery,” she said. “I'm a firm believer in the COD motto that education is the value of a lifetime.”

Due to economic conditions, demand for scholarships is up 25 percent, said Sharon Mellor, associate vice president of Development at College of DuPage and executive director of the Foundation.

“Our students are so grateful for the scholarships they receive,” she said. “Even a $500 award is the difference between attending and not attending COD. We are so thankful to our donors, and we invite others to make a difference and help students achieve their dreams of receiving a college education.”

For more information about the Foundation and its scholarship program, visit www.cod.edu/foundation.

For more photos, visit www.flickr.com/photos/codnewsroom.

To watch a video about the reception, visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Dc-mVtsN5DU