The Opportunity Scholars Program celebrated this year’s graduates with a festive and emotional gathering of family, friends and faculty and staff from the David Eccles School of Business. There were a lot of tears, many laughs, and a celebratory “haka” dance to top it all off.
Dedicated to providing scholarships and support–academic, professional and emotional–to first-generation college students at the business school, the Opportunity Scholars are an impressive bunch every year. And the stories the graduates tell at the annual year-end party and luau are always full of incredible life journeys, with many students explaining to the those who are following behind them just how much the program led by Rich Kaufusi helped them earn their degrees.
This year’s class of Opportunity Scholars graduates is no different. Students who a few years before couldn’t imagine going to college–let alone graduating–regaled the room with inspiring stories of exciting new jobs about to start, and obstacles overcome during their years at the U, and before.
“This program has been a miracle for me,” said Anfissa Silva, graduating this year in Accounting and heading to graduate school. Silva described meeting former Opportunity Scholar and current program board member Christine Whipple when Silva was waiting tables. Whipple told her about Opportunity Scholars, and it changed everything for her.
“I would never have thought I’d have the possibilities I have now,” Silva said, bringing many in the auditorium of the Spencer Fox Eccles Business Building to tears with her story. “Three years ago, I never thought I’d be able to go to college.”
Anfissa Silva talks to the group at the Opportunity Scholars year-end celebration.
Eduardo Grajeda is graduating with a double-major in Finance and Information Systems. He described learning how to network and make friends, and encouraged the next group of Opportunity Scholars to “believe in yourself. If you shoot for the moon, at least you end up in the stars. You never know where you’ll end up.”
Amber Barlow, graduating in Accounting and International Studies, echoed Grajeda’s advice to reach out to peers in class, in the hallways of the business school, at parties.
“Be open to all opportunities,” Barlow said. “Make friends with people you didn’t expect to be friends with. Be open to what life throws at you.”
Erika Garcia talked about how shy she was when she started college, and how she’s changed with the encouragement of her fellow Opportunity Scholars. She told the next generation of students “when you participate, your learning goes to a whole new level.” Amy Tran, graduating with degrees in Accounting and with honors in Finance, encouraged the students to “take advantage of everything the program has to offer,” something she did in her four years as an Opportunity Scholar.
The luau spread was an impressive one.
Sione Maka talked about growing up in a household with eight sisters and two brothers, and finding studying on campus the only way to get any work done because “I literally could not study at home.” He thanked Kaufusi for being available 24 hours a day for either help navigating something on campus, or just for a ride home after a late party. And he offered sound advice as well: “Be yourself. Create your own path. Listen to your intuition.”
One after another, the 19 Opportunity Scholars graduating in 2014 told their stories, and then Kaufusi thanked the group for their efforts and got a little emotional himself while announcing new Opportunity Scholars bookbags for all the students in the program–a luxury seldom scene in the past since all the money raised by the program goes toward student scholarships.
And with that, Kaufusi and several of the students broke out a haka, a traditional dance in several Pacific Island nations, and the party shifted into luau mode. A large buffet was demolished, more traditional dances were done by guest performers, and some Opportunity Scholars students themselves lent a hand in entertaining the crowd. All told, a fine way to send off students sure to make the David Eccles School of Business proud.
Yup, that’s Rich Kaufusi leading the “haka”.