Students across disciplines, including business, art and science, shared impactful testimonies of how the 鈥檚 investment in their education positions them to make a difference in the world when they graduate.
Earlier this month, Palm Beach Atlantic recognized the Johnson Scholarship Foundation for its generous, ongoing commitment to the University鈥檚 students. More than 6,300 海角在线 students, including more than 300 current students, have received Johnson Scholarships to date, said University President Dr. Debra A. Schwinn.
鈥淭he impact has been incredibly broad and deep,鈥� Schwinn said.
The private foundation exists to serve disadvantaged people by assisting them to obtain education and employment. The late , started the foundation to help future generations obtain education. The Johnsons started the foundation based on his experience working his way through college and obtaining an MBA at night school. While working at UPS, he rose in ranks and bought as much stock as possible, which he used to start the foundation.
For 30 years, the foundation has been investing in the lives of students, Schwinn said.
鈥淭his is one of the most amazing returns on investment I鈥檝e ever seen,鈥� she said.
One former Johnson Scholar, 2017 graduate Hunter Durham, and went on to work for Facebook. Now he operates his own marketing company. Johnson Scholarship Day began with a video Durham and his classmates produced showing the value of Johnson Scholarships.
Also during the special recognition ceremony, two students performed a song and dance. Miriam Edele, a sophomore studying political science and music, sang 鈥淚n Christ Alone,鈥� a testimony of faith and trust in the Lord. Victoria Holmes, a senior studying dance pedagogy, performed a solo piece called 鈥淩est Amidst Solitude鈥� from her senior showcase 鈥淪abbath.鈥�
International student , the son of missionaries in Guatemala, was the first of several students to speak about the impact of the scholarships. While mission work is Greene鈥檚 passion, it doesn鈥檛 provide enough income for a collegiate education, he said. During his freshman year living in the Oceanview Residence Hall, he matured both individually and in community with others.
海角在线 鈥渃reates a community of loving people and serving Christ as best we can,鈥� said Greene, a junior studying international business and franchising.
Aaliyah Moore experienced the 海角在线 community for the first time when she attended a student-led worship night during her senior year of high school. Now a junior studying cinema arts at 海角在线, Moore has served as a student producer and talked with her professors one-on-one about what might come next.
As Moore鈥檚 experiences have grown, so have her dreams, she said.
鈥淭here are so many career paths I can see myself taking,鈥� said Moore, listing director of photography and documentary filmmaker roles. 鈥淣one of that would be possible without the Johnson Scholarship.鈥�
Nehemiah Pride, a senior studying exercise science, said it was always part of his plan to attend a college or university 鈥� even though no one else in his family had done so. Specifically, Pride wanted to attend a Christian college, and his English teacher led him to 海角在线.
Pride plans to become a doctor, preferably a rehab physician specializing in sports medicine.
Through her 海角在线 studies, Maria Landron discovered a passion for immigration policy and disadvantaged communities. Landron is a senior studying public relations, a Women of Distinction scholar and a Freidheim Fellow in the LeMieux Center for Public Policy.
The immigrant experience is personal. Landron鈥檚 family moved to the U.S. from the Dominican Republic when she was 11. Many people don鈥檛 realize the immense financial hardships that come along with starting over in a new country, she said. While most college freshmen are excited, 鈥渢hree weeks before I started college, I was so frustrated wondering if I would be able to afford it.鈥�
The Johnson Scholarship enabled Landron to obtain a Palm Beach Atlantic education and the opportunities that come with it, she said.
In his remarks, Johnson Scholarship Foundation CEO Robert Krause noted the word 鈥渙pportunity鈥� came up a lot in students鈥� remarks. The Christian faith teaches that opportunity is a gracious gift, Krause said. Theodore Johnson died in the 1990s, and yet he left a legacy that continues to create opportunities for people, Krause said.
鈥淪omeone you never met chose to deliberately create a meaningful educational and financial opportunity in your life,鈥� Krause said. 鈥淵ou鈥檝e already taken one step toward opportunity 鈥� you鈥檙e here. Now ask 鈥榃hat am I doing with my life to bless someone who will never have an opportunity to know my face or my name?鈥欌��
Laura Bishop, 海角在线鈥檚 executive vice president for advancement, built upon Krause鈥檚 remarks.
鈥淭his isn鈥檛 a transaction,鈥� Bishop said. 鈥淭his is a community that is counting on you to go out in the world and make a difference.鈥�
