Tracy Souza
Several weeks ago, my youngest daughter graduated from Old Dominion University with a degree in nursing. Other than a few friends and family members, I did not know a soul in the overflowing football stadium. Regardless, I had a wonderful time watching the graduates parade across the stage and shake hands with Virginia’s governor and later pose for pictures with proud family members. It was one of those happy events being repeated around the country in May — a reminder of possibility and new beginnings.
More recently I spent a delightful evening celebrating Heritage Fund scholarship recipients and our donors who make the generous awards possible. Students came with friends and families to the Heritage Fund Courtyard, lined up at the visiting ice cream truck and then politely endured the endless stream of questions about where they were going to school and what they would be studying.
Heritage Fund works with donors interested in providing financial assistance to encourage students in the pursuit of their educational goals. Sometimes donors want to create a living memorial to someone important to them. Others want to give back because of help they may have received. Heritage Fund has more than 90 scholarships available each year. We have more than 60 volunteers who wade through hundreds of applications and try hard to distribute those dollars to students who most closely match the objectives set for each particular scholarship. This year, our selection committees awarded more than $738,000 to scholars.
So many good things happen when ordinary people begin to ask themselves how they can make their community better or how they might use their time, treasure and talents to help others. Just asking those questions creates positive energy and confidence for the future. I wish everyone could spend a bit of time with these students, listening to their fears and hopes and dreams. Their optimism is contagious … and we can all use some of that!
