Courtesy of University of the District of Columbia
University of the District of Columbia (UDC) received a collective $2.3 million private gift from an anonymous donor to support Black, Brown and economically disadvantaged UDC students in their academic pursuits. Earlier this year, UDC received $300,000 from the donor to support the DAWN (Developing America’s Workforce Nucleus) initiative, and the additional $2 million will establish two distinct scholarship programs through DAWN.
The award is the largest private gift UDC has received from a single donation; the previous largest was a $1.5 million estate gift from the Hilda H. M. and Charles N. Mason Jr. Trust in 2009.
The donor has chosen to remain anonymous. In the award letter addressed to UDC President Ronald Mason, Jr, the donor states, “You and your staff responded promptly, efficiently and with great enthusiasm for the institution and the students you represent. Your passion and dedication are heartwarming, and your stewardship of the gift gives us confidence that you are serving your students with care.”
The $2 million gift will create two new scholarship programs the DAWN Deans’ Community Leaders Scholarships and the DAWN Deans’ Scholarships by Degree and Programs. Both scholarships will be housed under the umbrella scholarship, the Deans’ Developing America’s Workforce Nucleus (DAWN) Scholarships. The University’s DAWN initiative seeks solutions to the nation’s talent shortage by creating talent identification and refinement systems to cultivate and increase STEM-based talent from underrepresented populations. Starting with a pilot in the District’s Ward 8 community, DAWN inspires a new model for education that can be deployed across the country.
“UDC and its predecessor institutions have educated District residents for over 170 years. We are so grateful to the anonymous donor for stepping forward with such a generous gift that will help ensure UDC continues to drive the social mobility of its students and develop the next generation of leaders,” said President Mason. “Through the newly-created DAWN Scholarships, the gift will allow more students – especially those from underrepresented and economically disadvantaged groups – to pursue their educational goals while reducing their financial burdens.”
The DAWN Deans’ Community Leaders Scholarships will provide a total of $300,000 over three years toward living allowances and scholarships for students who demonstrate exemplary community involvement or commitment to solving community issues. The DAWN Deans’ Scholarships by Degree and Programs will be awarded across selected University undergraduate degree and workforce development programs, and scholarship eligibility requirements will vary per program. The School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS); College of Arts and Sciences (CAS); School of Business and Public Administration (SBPA) and College of Agriculture, Urban Sustainability and Environmental Sciences (CAUSES) will each receive $300,000 over three years. The Community College and Workforce Development and Lifelong Learning (WDLL) will receive $252,000 and $248,000, respectively, over three years.
To be eligible for the scholarships, degree-seeking students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.0 and at least six credits per semester. WDLL students must have a high school diploma or GED certificate. Students must also be Pell/SNAP eligible. Priority will be given to District of Columbia residents and associate degree-seeking students with a minimum of 30 completed credit hours.
