On Thursday, October 13th, Penn State Wilkes-Barre honored 106 students who were awarded scholarships for the 2011-2012 school year at the annual Scholarship Dinner held at Appletree Terrace. This year, Penn State Wilkes-Barre awarded 265 students approximately $730,000 in scholarships.
In addition to students, approximately 40 scholarship donors also attended the dinner. Students were given the opportunity to mingle with their donors during dinner and be able to personally thank them.
"For you scholarship recipients in attendance; if you take nothing else away from this evening's program, I ask you to reflect on the generous gifts that have been made by your scholarship donors," Anthony Shipula, Penn State Wilkes-Barre Director of Development stated in his opening remarks. "It's our wish that you are able to achieve your dreams of a college education and a successful future, so that in years to come as you reflect on your college experience and hopefully this evening you will seriously consider paying forward your benefactors generosity to future generations by creating your own scholarships."
Dr. Charles Davis, Penn State Wilkes-Barre Chancellor, presented two Nittany Lion statues during the evening's program. A Nittany Lion is presented to donors who have completed the funding of their scholarship during the year. A lion was presented to Rick Barry, who in December of 2010 endowed the Rick & Sue Barry Trustee Scholarship. Roger Williams, Executive Director of the Penn State Alumni Association, also received a lion on behalf of the entire Penn State Alumni Association who endowed the Penn State Alumni Association Trustee Scholarship for Penn State Wilkes-Barre in March 2011.
Abby Moules, a freshman bioengineering major and Rick & Sue Barry Scholarship recipient, addressed the group on behalf of all the scholarship recipients. As the program guest speaker, Rick Barry spoke on the theme of Investing in People.
