Susquehanna’s past, present and future came together this weekend in a magical celebration of philanthropy for student scholarships.

It was a night for new connections to be made and past connections restored as the University invited its scholarship donors and recipients to join together in honor of lives changed by generosity. It was a magical night when donors were able to meet students face-to-face and gain personal insights into the impact of their giving, while students were able to meet scholarship donors and come to understand what motivates others to invest in their lives.

Pamela White, Dean of Enrollment Services, addressed the crowd on the importance of scholarship support. “Of course, in addition to these sources of funding—the family, state and federal agencies, campus employment and loans—are the gift funds from Susquehanna,” she said. “Our gift aid comes from two sources: our annual operating budget and from donations made by those of you here and many others like you.”

“In some cases, your gifts made possible a college education for students whose family circumstances were such that they would never have imagined that a college education, let alone one at a smaller private university like Susquehanna, was possible,” she added. She also offered some poignant examples of students whose lives had been transformed by the scholarships they received and the educational opportunity created for them.

The evening’s program was punctuated by remarks from Louise Kresge ’45 Isaacs, who, with her husband Larry ’43, established an endowment in support of music students. She shared with the crowd their reasons for giving back to Susquehanna, among them the profound impact the conservatory had on Louise. She insisted, she said, that when they found themselves in a position to give back that it first be a gift to the music department.

Following Louise’s remarks, the audience was treated to a special video presentation which relived the moment on Sept. 30, 2006, the day the Changing Lives, Building Futures initiative was announced, where three special students experienced a remarkable and life-changing moment.

During the Pre-Game Spectacular at Homecoming, Susquehanna seniors Karen Davis, Amanda Lenig and Sarah Shaffer were surprised by the news that they had each been chosen by the faculty to receive a $10,000 scholarship, made possible through the generosity of Barry ‘68 and Denise Horton ‘68 Jackson. Each woman described the emotion of that moment, ranging from shock to relief of the financial burden that awaited them leaving college.

Near the end of the program, University President L. Jay Lemons shared these words: “What I hope you sense is that each of you is a part of something much larger. You are part of a Susquehanna family whose roots are traced back nearly 150 years. Everyone in this room is a part of that family—a family that reaches out to and takes care of one another—faculty, students, alumni, family and friends.”

Susquehanna is grateful to all who value and support the University and was delighted to bring scholarship donors and students together for this event.