Foundation establishes scholarships to help students in need

PUEBLO - Sometimes life can throw you curve balls, but Colorado State University - Pueblo is helping to insure students have the support needed to complete their education and to be successful. Two scholarship funds have been established at the CSU-Pueblo Foundation to help students succeed even during difficult times.

Earlier this year, the Associated Students Government (ASG) assembly, under the leadership and administration of President Sarah Zarr and Vice President Gene Wilson, created a student emergency fund to support students in crisis. The funds within another stagnant ASG account were used to create this new fund at the Foundation.

The CSU-Pueblo Student Emergency Fund provides financial support for students when they need assistance due to an emergency situation, catastrophic event, or an unusual or unforeseen expense that puts them in jeopardy of withdrawing from the university or being unable to complete their degree. This fund will help alleviate hardships and crisis to insure that students may stay in school and ultimately complete their degrees.

The fund will cover vehicle accidents, hospital bills, funerals, trips home for family emergencies and deaths, and other scenarios that could keep a student from being able to stay at CSU-Pueblo or that would inhibit their success as a student. The funds will be raised by corporate underwriters, private donors, university alumni, faculty, staff, parents and students. The funds will come primarily through donations from other students. Zarr said the fund is about students helping their fellow students, therefore not only will the fund be helping hurting students, it will also be creating community, promoting kindness, and encouraging generosity and philanthropy at CSU-Pueblo.

The other new scholarship is the Hasan School of Business (HSB) Extraordinary Student Retention Scholarship. HSB Dean Dr. Bruce Raymond started the scholarship fund through the CSU-Pueblo Foundation last year. Raymond stated that as dean he has come to realize that student accomplishment and graduation sometimes are threatened by circumstances beyond the control of the individual student. He said that realization came to his attention abruptly in a number of situations over the last few years. He hadn't really considered that he would personally know a student with cancer, a student who was the victim of a brutal shooting, or a student who lost his athletic scholarship due to injury on the field of play. In each of those instances, HSB drew upon discretionary funding to provide one-time help to each of these students.

Earnings from this fund are used to support students who are placed in circumstances beyond their control to help them to stay in school and graduate. With help from President Lesley Di Mare contributing some funds from the 2015 President's Gala, along with a personal contribution from Dr. Raymond and continuing contributions from the HSB staff, alumni, and members of the HSB Advisory Board, the scholarship fund is well on its way to providing help for CSU-Pueblo business and CIS majors in need.

If you are interested in contributing to either scholarship fund please contact Sandy Lundahl, scholarship administrator at the CSU-Pueblo Foundation at 719.549.2965.

Anyone wishing to support CSU-Pueblo student scholarships and programs are invited to donate online at www.thundergive.org or by texting PACK to 80888 to donate $10.

Colorado State University - Pueblo is a regional, comprehensive university emphasizing professional, career-oriented, and applied programs. Displaying excellence in teaching, celebrating diversity, and engaging in service and outreach, CSU-Pueblo is distinguished by access, opportunity, and the overall quality of services provided to its students.