The RCTC Foundation hosted its annual scholarship event on May 1, handing out 120 scholarships worth over $252,000. Workforce Development scholarships were also awarded, bringing the total to over $289,000.
The student below wanted to write a thank you letter because of how much receiving a scholarship meant to him.
If you’re attending RCTC or plan to, keep an eye open for available scholarships. The impact they can have on paying for school can’t be understated.
Dear RCTC Foundation scholarship sponsor,
I want to take this opportunity to thank you for the gift of this scholarship and express what it means to me.
A scholarship in itself means a lot to my family, but the fact that this is a music scholarship is extra special. I am autistic and communicating with others has always been difficult, but music became a way for me to communicate. I couldn’t talk, but my mom played music so we could dance together. I often got frustrated because people could not understand me, but music would help calm me.
I learned how to ask y mom to play music for me. When I got older, I joined the school band. Later, I joined marching band, pep band, and symphonic band. This past September, I returned to my high school. To play in the pep band at their homecoming football game. It felt great to see my former band director and be a part of that group again.
My mother is a single parent. We have never had a lot of money, but she and my grandparents have worked hard to give me opportunities. I want to make my family proud by becoming a college graduate. This scholarship will help me accomplish my goal and it will also help my family. I appreciate this gift so much and I, and my family, thank you.
Riley E. Morrow
Read about the women in BUM, or learn about non-traditional students with a passion for cleaning teeth. You can also read the entire digital issue.