Scholarship Luncheon brings donors and student recipients face-to-face
Improving the world may seem daunting, but when donors give to Newman — where 99% of students receive financial aid — they witness their generosity’s effects firsthand.
The goal of the annual scholarship luncheon on March 27 was twofold.
“It allowed donors to see their impact, but also fostered an appreciation for the students,” Senior Development Officer Conni Mansaw explained.
Junior Angelica Rodriguez, a biology major, was preparing for college during COVID when her father was laid off. Rodriguez’s worries were eased when she received the Adelante Scholarship, established by Gene and Yolanda Camarena to make college possible for more Hispanic students.
At the luncheon, Rodriguez thanked her donor in person. “It has truly been a gift,” she said.
Hayley Stewart may only be in her second year at Newman, but the grateful St. Newman scholarship recipient already plans to give back in the future.
“It’s this abstract situation where, ‘oh, you’re given all this money,’ but talking to the donors at my table who genuinely care about my future inspires me to take what I’ve been given and pay it forward,” she said.
JV Johnston ’82 and his family have a long history at Newman. As a student, Johnston played on the men’s basketball team and met his wife, Veronica. Three of their four sons attended Newman for college.
“We love the mission of Newman and the ASC community,” Johnston said. “Their mission to serve the disadvantaged and underserved is now a part of us, too.”
Johnston and his wife established the Jose and Petra Armendariz Award Fund in honor of Veronica’s parents. Petra had a fourth- or fifth-grade education and raised 10 children on a stringent budget. Jose and Petra believed in the power of education and sent four of their daughters to Sacred Heart Academy and Kansas Newman.
Johnston shared that at a recent funeral, he heard a poem titled “The Dash.”
“It was a wonderful poem that spoke about the dates on your tombstone: the date you were born and the date you died. But those were not the most important things,” he said. “What was most important was the dash between them. The dash represents what we did when we were alive.”
Out of all of life’s big accomplishments — from winning a championship and finishing a marathon to a promotion or the birth of a child — “the second-best feeling you could ever get in your life is when you help someone who has no ability to repay you,” Johnston said. “Whether that’s volunteering as a physician or a nurse at the clinic, going on a mission trip or establishing student scholarships, that’s amazing.”
Johnston ended his speech with a challenge: “What are you going to do with your dash? What difference are you going to make in someone’s life, a student’s life?”
Newman President Kathleen Jagger Ph.D., MPH, expressed her sincere thanks to Newman’s generous donors.
“Thank you for investing in Newman. Thank you for investing in our students. And for the students who are here, thank you for being part of the progress that we’re making at Newman University. We’re very proud of each and every one of you,” she said.