Since I’m in the President’s Leadership Program here at Christopher Newport, I receive a scholarship towards my tuition. For my first three years, the scholarship wasn’t specifically donated by anyone, but I got a surprise in the mail the summer before my senior year. I had a donor (a couple of them, in fact) and a specific name to my scholarship!
Yesterday, I had the pleasure of meeting my donors in person at a luncheon held by the University. I wasn’t sure what to expect – would these ladies be nice? Would they be interested in talking to me or would we just sit around our table nibbling quietly? I was once again happily surprised to find that the ladies who give to my scholarship were not only friendly and down-to-earth, but full of Christopher Newport history themselves.
One of my donors is Mrs. Cunningham, the first First Lady of Christopher Newport! She was here at the very inception of the school I have called home for four years, and it was fascinating to chat with her and hear her stories. Her daughter and the other ladies at our table also shared neat tidbits, not only about the University, but also about their lives in general. It was truly great to connect with people who had been strangers and hear about their interests, favorite vacations and more.
Thanks to the luncheon, I now have faces and stories to put to the names of my generous donors. What an honor it was to spend a couple of hours meeting an extended part of the Christopher Newport family!
