TAMPA 鈥� The USF Muma College of Business hosted its annual Scholarship Luncheon on
Friday, bringing together donors, scholarship recipients and academic leaders to celebrate
the power of investing in students through scholarships.
This year鈥檚 gathering centered on the theme, 鈥淎 Million Dreams,鈥� as college leaders
announced that donor-funded financial awards reached another record-breaking year
鈥� with over $1.2 million awarded for the 2024-2025 academic year.
The astonishing total included about 350 business students from all three campuses
who received more than $1.2 million from 140 different funds within the Muma College
of Business.
Numbers aside, as one of the college鈥檚 signature events, the luncheon is a chance
for donors and their scholarship recipients to meet in person.
鈥淭oday we celebrate the dreams made possible when generous donors and aspiring leaders
unite,鈥� said Abigail Winder, a senior business analytics and information systems major
who served as the event鈥檚 emcee.
Winder received the Barron Collier Corporate Mentor Program Scholarship and described
how serving as a peer leader to fellow first-generation college students allowed her
to give back to the program that has given her so much.
鈥淢y goal is to pass along the valuable experiences and insights I鈥檝e gained from my
own mentors to inspire and support the next generation following in my footsteps,鈥�
she said.
Changing the lives of students
Lynn Pippenger Dean David Blackwell said the power of scholarships for first-generation students holds a special place
in his heart. As the first in his family to attend college, he worked his way through
college by doing agricultural work during the summers and night shifts at McDonald鈥檚.
And he was lucky to receive a scholarship from an anonymous donor.
鈥淕ifts such as the ones we celebrate today are vital to the progress of our students,鈥�
Blackwell said. 鈥淵ou are helping us change the lives of our students in very real
ways.鈥�
The hour-long event was sponsored by the USF Credit Union, who pledged to support
the luncheon for another two years. The financial institution also gave away a $1,000
Southwest Airlines voucher as a door prize to one scholarship recipient.
Richard Sellwood, chief operating officer at the USF Credit Union, told students that
scholarships are a reminder that someone believes in them and encouraged them to reflect
on their journey and seize the opportunities ahead with determination and courage.
鈥淵ou have the talent, the drive, and the resources to accomplish extraordinary things,鈥�
he said. 鈥淓mbrace every challenge as an opportunity to grow.鈥�
Alumna Corbyn Lichon, the chief accounting officer at The Baldwin Group and recipient
of the 2024 USF Outstanding Young Alumni Award, offered encouragement as a former
USF scholarship recipient.
Lichon said the scholarships she received allowed her to focus on academics full-time
while also being involved in extracurricular activities she was passionate about.
鈥淩eceiving a scholarship from the Muma College of Business had a significant impact on my journey at USF,鈥� she said. 鈥淲ho else can say they went to Niagara Falls and spent New Year鈥檚 in Canada with Rocky and the band? Just me? These are some of the moments I will always remember from my time at USF.鈥�
An ordinary day turns tragic
Student speaker Freeman Talla spoke about how scholarships are making it possible
for him to turn a personal tragedy into a societal solution.
As a kid from Douala, Cameroon, Talla told the story of how unreliable electricity
鈥� a persistent and pervasive problem in the West African country 鈥� led to the death
of his beloved 鈥淭ata Virginie.鈥�
It was an ordinary day nearly two decades ago when a 13-year-old Talla had his first
encounter with death. Talla said his aunt had a medical emergency and was rushed to
the nearest hospital.
But they were turned away by the gatekeeper because the hospital had no electricity.
They sped to the next nearest hospital, 20 minutes away, but it was too late.
A deep, unshakable conviction
As the years passed, the sadness of his aunt鈥檚 death evolved into 鈥渁 deep, unshakable
conviction,鈥� Talla told the crowd.
鈥淯nreliable electricity isn鈥檛 just an inconvenience. It鈥檚 a silent thief, stealing
lives, futures, and untapped potential,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 think about how countless lives...could
be saved if electricity were no longer a barrier.鈥�
When Talla came to the United States to study, he realized he had a unique opportunity
to make a difference. So he immersed himself in learning about renewable energy, networking
with experts, and building the skills to launch a solar power startup in Cameroon
called SOLAccess.
The startup will empower homeowners to generate their own electricity, reducing dependence
on an unreliable government grid, and possibly saving lives like his aunt鈥檚.
In December, Talla graduated with master鈥檚 degrees in computer science and entrepreneurship
in applied technologies from USF and wants to pursue a PhD in big data analytics.
He said scholarships made it possible for him to focus on his studies, gave him the
freedom to dream big and the resources to turn those dreams into actionable plans.
He challenged his fellow scholarship recipients to 鈥淪tep up. Use this gift not just
to better your own life, but to become an agent of change in your communities,鈥� he
said. 鈥淧ay it forward. Dream boldly. Act courageously.鈥�