Every year, private gifts help make higher education accessible and affordable for UConn students. In 2011, the Foundation provided approximately $11.6 million for scholarships and fellowships at the University, and donors responded to the difficult economic conditions by contributing $9.7 million in new gifts and commitments allocated for scholarships.
The ultimate success of the University of Connecticut is the success of its students; as the stories below illustrate, scholarship and fellowship support helps UConn students reach their full potential.
To our donors, thank you! Please take a moment and tell us why you give to support scholarships at UConn!
To UConn students who have received a scholarship, please tell us your story!
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"My experience at the University of Connecticut so far has been incredible. I've been in the school for only a year and I am extremely proud that I am a UConn student. What I like most about the school is the variety of activities one can get involved in and the diversity of people. I was honored to be accepted into the Alpha Lambda Delta Society, and also the National Society of Collegiate Scholars. That in itself made my first year in college remarkable. I hope to be able to continue studying at UConn and finish my Finance major. That for now is my most important goal. The financial aid that this award has given me is of tremendous help. I greatly appreciate the help you have given me so far. Your generosity means a lot to me." |
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"My career goal is to become the Director of Marketing at a professional sports arena or for a professional sports team. In order to help me fulfill this goal I am participating in extracurricular activities such as the Sports Business Association and the Marketing Society, in addition to my regular collegiate studies. With this preparation, I know I can become a passionate, hardworking, and successful employee no matter where I end up in the work force. Through the support of generous donors like yourself, this scholarship will help relieve some of the financial burden for myself and my family. Thank you!" |
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"UConn has the school spirit, excellent academics, diversity, and for an in-state student, an affordable tuition. Any amount of financial support helps my family. I have a 15 year old brother who will be going to college soon too, and this scholarship will definitely help my parents. My goals are to make the Dean's List at UConn throughout my four years there. I also would love to transition from UConn Stamford to the UConn Storrs campus as soon as possible." |
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"So far, my time at UConn has been an excellent experience and one of the main reasons I chose to attend UConn was because of its affordability to myself and my family. The scholarship that I received this past fall helped me enormously. My goal is to graduate with little to no debt and this scholarship has taken me one step closer to making that a reality." |
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"I have made an effort to reach out in numerous ways to make myself an active member of the UConn SSW Community. I wanted to soak in everything the school has to offer. I feel that I have been successful in this goal because I live, breath and eat social work! My field placement is at Bristol Hospital’s Inpatient Behavioral Health Unit. There, I have learned the clinical aspect to social work in a fast-paced setting. Conducting individual sessions, daily group therapy, and family meetings has given me an in-depth look to the various treatment modalities. It has been incredibly informative to work collaboratively on a multi-disciplinary team of psychiatrists, social workers, nurses, and occupational therapists. Another opportunity I was lucky enough to experience was the travel study to Germany. We collaborated with the University of Merseburg Social Work students through culture, history and the ways of life of Germany. We shared in our learning of the Holocaust and the implications it has for social work practitioners. We traveled to Merseburg, Leipzig, Halle, Berlin, and the Buchenwald Concentration Camp Memorial in Weimar. This was truly an amazing experience." |
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"Thank you for the Shapiro Dental Student Scholarship. My wife and I moved to Connecticut so I could attend UConn three years ago from Idaho, and have since had two boys. We love being here and feel extremely lucky that I'm able to attend UConn. I have been amazed at the opportunities given through the school. I'm receiving a top-notch education and just started seeing patients in the clinic at the UConn Health Center. Again, thank you. This scholarship means so much to me and my family." |
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"I just wanted to let you know that your fund has enabled me to present the work I am carrying out: researching pathogen and herbivory defense in tomatoes. I love showing other scientists what scholarship and accomplishments we have made. I hope that my work may one day help farmers protect their tomato crops (and perhaps eggplant, pepper, and other solanaceous plants) from disease and damage due to insects. Being able to attend conferences also advances my understanding of cutting edge science from which I can learn new techniques and developments." |
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"I am enjoying my last year at UConn, taking challenging course load, and working hard to earn my Bachelor’s degree. After, I also plan on obtaining a Masters and eventually a PhD, but in between those milestones I want to work with the Healthcare/AIDS division of the Peace Corps in Africa. Regardless of the degree of my accomplishments and level of education I may possess in my future, my desire to learn more each and every day will never be satisfies. And, in a rapid and ever-changing world, we must constantly be learning if the necessary advancements in science and medicine are to be made. Although there are an endless number of career possibilities in the field of medicine and healthcare, my dream profession would be to work for the Center for Disease Control." |
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"I have a passion for improving oral health of underprivileged individuals and to provide increased access to dentistry at a public health level. I attended college at Yale and majored in biomedical engineering. At UConn, I am an Urban Health Scholar and class president for my dental class. I am truly honored to be a recipient of the Robert A. Kravecs, CDT Fellowship in Dental Medicine and the Roosa Family Foundation Summer Fellowship, and extremely grateful for the opportunities they will provide me. With this scholarship and fellowship, I am one step closer to achieving my career goals. I promise to continue working hard and in the future hope to give something back to others as you have given to me now." |
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"I am truly grateful that I was given the opportunity to receive this award. The financial support that is given to me not only provides me with the school supplies I need, but I also takes away that sense of worry and concern away about financial woes. Without this concern, I am able to pay more attention to my studies and do the best that I can." |
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"I am a Real Estate and Urban Economics Major, and a member of the Real Estate Society, in which I plan to gain more knowledge and explore different career paths. The financial assistance you have provided will be of great help in paying my educational expenses and will allow me to concentrate more on achieving my academic goals." |
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"I was recently selected by the OPIM Scholarship Award Committee to be the recipient of the Accenture Fund Scholarship. I would like to thank you for providing the funds so that the scholarship was made available. The award will definitely help with the cost of books and other college expenses for the next two months and the start of next semester. On that note, I thoroughly enjoyed my first year here at UConn! More specifically, I have enjoyed getting to know interesting professors and fellow students, attending the soccer and basketball games, and exploring all that the campus facilities have to offer. Overall, it is a busy schedule between social and academic commitments. It is, however, really nice to know that all of my hard work has not gone unnoticed. I look forward to continuing to take full advantages of the UConn campus, School of Business, OPIM Department, Honors College, and the many social groups during the rest of my academic career. Once again, thank you very much for your contribution to the scholarship fund. My family and I truly appreciate it." |
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"I am currently a senior pursuing a major in environmental engineering and a minor in landscape design. By loading my schedule with classes each semester, I am on track to graduate in May of 2013. Upon graduation, I plan to pursue a career in sustainable design or urban sustainability. With the help of your generous donation, the financial burden of college has been made a little easier. I will continue to focus on my studies and work hard, in hopes that one day, I will be able to pay your generosity forward. " |
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"The financial support from the scholarship gave me the ability to pursue a double major within four years, also allowing me to focus more on school work and getting ready to graduate with a job already set for me. My goals are to finish my last year at UConn and enjoy all that the school can throw at me. My dream, however, is coming back to UConn and being able to help out other students the way the scholarship helped me, and in the far future, to hope my children will receive the same experience I have gone through." |
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"Education has a way of shaping ideas into an understanding. My goal over freshmen and sophomore year was to find an inspiring field offering continuous personal growth while working towards a brighter future for the next generation. Studying resource economics provides me with classes that fuse together business and economics through the analysis of environmental issues. With classes such as Benefit Cost Analysis and Resource Management this focus offers a unique academic challenge and develops life skills relevant to the career I intend to pursue. Now that I have found my academic niche, I plan on applying classroom knowledge to real world examples. It is my intention to make a lasting impact on campus by implementing a green initiative through Eco Husky and also to enrich my understanding of economic models through an independent research project with my advisor." |
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"The Fund for Greater Hartford Scholarship has allowed me an opportunity I would have otherwise not been able to have without the assistance of its donors. I am very grateful for this scholarship because with each semester that I have received aid, it has brought me closer to my goal of obtaining my bachelor’s degree that I will receive this December. The Fund has aided in my success and I will soon be able to live my dreams of paying it forward through work in a non-profit organization. Thank you Fund for Greater Hartford Scholarship for making my dreams a reality." |
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"I want to thank you for your generosity and providing me with this scholarship to help me financially succeed at UConn. To give you a little bit of background of who I am and what I am involved with on campus, I am a senior in biomedical engineering and am hoping to continue on to medical school afterward and become a surgeon. Over the past couple of summers, I have participated in an internship observing over 100 hours of surgery and conducting research with a neurosurgeon, and I fell in love with how engineering can combine with medicine. This internship is truly what made me decide to pursue a career in surgery after I graduate in engineering, and I hope that when I am practicing I will be able to work closely with biomedical device companies to continue my involvement with the engineering field. Also on campus, I compete through our school's Running Club and lead tours through the Lodewick Visitor Center." |
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"The Presidential Scholarship helped me to study abroad in Italy last summer, which so far has been the best experience of my time at UConn. I had never been outside of the US before that and now I can't wait to travel more! Without the help of this scholarship I would not have been able to afford studying abroad. Grazie mille!!!" |
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"I am a first-year graduate student at UConn, working full-time towards my Master's in Social Work and specializing in Policy Practice. My major practice is Policy Practice because I would like to be prepared to transform our social reality for an equal and caring society from a macro level perspective. Working with minorities and oppressed people has been a non-stop life-learning experience and it deeply touched my soul and my heart. I will never forget the faces, places, worlds and kindness of each child, adult, elder, family or homeless person that I’ve worked with and I will cherish the ones that I hope to help in the future. The financial assistance you provided will be of great help to me in paying my educational expenses, and it will allow me to concentrate more of my time for studying." |
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"Living in a poor household in Uruguay made me realize that without an education, there was no hope. For this reason, my family decided to pack all of their belongings and move to America, in search of the American Dream. Ever since I remember, my family has been the guiding force that has helped me keep my focus and has acted as a stepping stone to my goals. With their encouragement, and my own determination, I know that I can accomplish every goal I set for myself.
I have grown up wanting to earn the best education possible, with a strong ambition of becoming a physical therapist. With this goal in mind, I have been working at my highest potential to complete all of my undergraduate requirements here at UConn so that I can finally apply to the Doctor of Physical Therapy Program. Not only will this satisfy one of my main goals in life, but also make the most important people in my life proud, and that is a feeling that I would not change for anything in the world." |
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"It feels very comforting to know there are people who avidly support the field of Agricultural and Resource Economics, and are willing to donate to those who are trying to carry on in the field of study. I am a Resource Economics major with a concentration in International Development, most interested in the development of sustainable energy and agricultural practices in developing countries. I am currently spending my spring semester living in a sustainable community in Auroville, India, trying to learn as much as possible about this way of life and hoping to apply as much of it as possible to my future academic experience." |
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"Thank you so much for helping to fund my UConn education. I am greatly enjoying my time at the Avery Point campus and looking forward to transferring to the Storrs campus next spring. I am a first year Environmental Science student. I am involved in EcoHuskies, Husky Ambassadors, and the Saturday Morning Breakfast Club, a community service program at Avery Point. Thank you again for donating and making it possible for me to be a part of this great school that offers great opportunities as well as a wonderful education." |
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"As a Management Information Systems major in the School of Business, I am hoping to merge my knowledge of business and the increasing role of technology is playing in people’s lives to help build consumer-facing products that people will benefit from. I dream of being accepted into Google’s elite Associate Product Manager Program, GE’s IMLP program, or another prestigious company’s leadership program and assisting in the design and implementation of various products. I can’t thank you enough for the financial scholarship and want to assure you it will be invaluable in helping me complete my four amazing years at UConn." |
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"The Teacher Certification Program for College Graduates program has been an extraordinary learning experience. I feel that the professionalism and the high expectations of the professors has allowed me a top rate education and has contributed to the notable name of the Neag School of Education. The scholarship I received help to relieve some of the financial burden placed on me while I finished this year of intense hard work. Upon graduation I will be seeking a position as a Social Studies teacher in grades 7-12. My goal to to work in an urban high needs school district in order to help at risk youth." |
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"I am the first in my family of immigrants to go to college and could have never imagined that I would be where I am today. The scholarship support you have given me has been of enormous help. This past summer I did an audit internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers in New York City and enjoyed working and living in such a vibrant city. I received a full time offer but will need to make a thorough analysis before making a final decision. Currently I am the President of the Finance Society and also a fund manager for the Student Managed Fund here at UConn. It is a great opportunity to actually put my finance and accounting knowledge to use and help manage $1 million of UConn's endowment with my peers." |
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"I have experienced many things in just my first semester alone. The School of Engineering has not only provided me with the beginning to an excellent education, but also plenty of opportunities to interact with others in the same field, make a difference in the engineering community, and begin to use my engineering knowledge in real world experiences. I love knowing that I always have a support system behind me, and many faculty, staff, and students that are willing to help me succeed. I extremely enjoyed the many opportunities I have to do engineering work that is not school-based.
The extracurricular activities that I am involved in are the Pre-Engineering Program, a program that takes lower income middle school students to UConn each weekend and performs science experiments with them to spark interest in engineering, Engineers without Borders, a club to help develop solutions in troubled countries such as Nicaragua and Ethiopia, Engineering Ambassadors, an organization that promotes engineering to younger children and organizations, and the Endurance Club, a running club that travels and does races in the northeast region. This financial support has made it possible for to me to attend UConn and pursue my goal of an engineering career." |
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"My work in educational psychology has taken me into inner city schools in Connecticut to help counsel academically gifted and talented youth who do not necessarily have the home support or other life experiences that can help them to advance in their academic careers. My desire is to continue my work with underprivileged academically gifted and talented children as well as to help identify those who are academically gifted and talented but may not be identified by traditional testing methods. Scholarship support has allowed me to continue my work here and get ever closer to my goal of graduating in May 2013 with my Ph.D." |
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"My UConn experience has been great so far and I couldn't be happier with my decision to attend this university. I have become very involved with the numerous programs and student activities on campus, which seem to be happening daily. I always walk in to the Student Union and see new and exciting groups and activities to take part in. I play Club field hockey and it has been great. I also took part in the Explore program UConn had to offer to ACES students who were unsure of which major to choose. That helped us explore different majors and areas of study to help us narrow down our options and eventually decide on which we liked best. Having the financial support of this scholarship has relieved a great amount of stress for me. My parents help me as much as they can right now financially, but running a household with four daughters can be tough. Anticipating the expenses I will have to cover after college is extremely stressful, but I am grateful, to say the least, that my scholarship helps decrease the stress of the finances soon to come. With that I can fully enjoy every moment here at UConn." |
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"I may technically be a marketing major, but journalism has always been my passion. I work as the Managing Editor for The Daily Campus, and I started writing early in my freshman year as a sports writer. Since then, I have covered nearly every sport UConn has to offer, from golf all the way to football and men's basketball.
Earning the scholarship was a tremendous honor, as many excellent reporters have received the scholarship before me and gone on to do great things. My goal is to follow in their footsteps and become a big-time reporter at a major news outlet. I love telling stories, I love exposing corruption and injustice, and I want to make an impact on the world and change the way people think. My experiences at UConn have helped me grow into someone who is ready to take on the world, and when I leave I am confident that I will achieve my goals." |
