Financial hardship can be a significant factor in many students’ ability to fund their education, especially when seeking a master’s degree. Thankfully many donors, alumni, and programs at the David Eccles School of Business make it possible to provide scholarships to many of these students. Two recent scholarship recipients of the First Ascent Scholarship shared what this funding has meant to them during their Eccles Experience in the Full-Time MHA program.
“Receiving the First Ascent Scholarship is an amazing opportunity and blessing,” said Cody Backus. “The scholarship will give me the ability to take full advantage of the many enriching experiences that the MHA program has to offer. I would like to thank the donors and program staff for making this possible, and I promise to work hard and use this gift to honor previous and future recipients.”
The First Ascent Scholarship is offered through the First Ascent Scholars program, a community of students who have established a financial need and are passionate about their education, giving back to their community, and enhancing their experience at the Eccles School. This scholarship was made possible by the generous donations made by Blue Cross, Blue Shield.
The Debra L. Scammon Endowed Scholarship was awarded to Professional MHA (PMHA) student Andrea Schindler. The scholarship honors Eccles School faculty member Debra Scammon, founder and first director of the MHA program.
“I am honored to be the recipient of the Debra Scammon scholarship award,” Schindler said. “As a mid-to-late careerist, this award meant a great deal to me and validated my decision to pursue an MHA degree. Returning to school after almost 30 years, I was apprehensive yet determined to expand my knowledge and skills in order to be a more effective advocate and healthcare leader. This scholarship reinforced for me the idea that one is never too old to learn and that learning should be a lifelong process. I am
incredibly grateful, and I intend to use my MHA degree to serve others and to work on solving the many challenges we face in healthcare.”
Other students that received scholarships are PMHA student Yasmine Eli, who received The Lois and Leon Scammon Memorial Endowed Scholarship, and PMHA student Colton Van Komen, who received the AUPHA Foster G. McGaw Scholarship.
These scholarships are helping students to finish their degrees and become the healthcare leaders of tomorrow. Huge thanks to all of our donors who have made it possible to aid these students in their MHA journey. For more information on scholarships, visit our scholarships page.
