By Tricia Cherry —
Back in August, I received an email from Jayla Terry, the Administrative Assistant for Miami Middletown campus. As a recent recipient of a Miami scholarship, I was invited to attend and speak at The Grateful and Thankful Luncheon. This is a luncheon honoring the generosity of those who make those scholarships possible. Attending students were expected to give brief speeches on why they chose Miami University and how their scholarship helped them. It took place in the Miriam G. Knoll Community Center in Johnston Hall, Miami’s Middletown campus, this past Friday, September 26th, between 11:30 am and 1:05 pm.
This event was an opportunity for potential scholarship donors to hear directly from the students whose lives they’ve already helped shape, in the hopes that they will continue to provide those funds. Potential doners included Elizabeth Slamka, the mayor of Middletown; Moira Casey, Interim Dean of College of Liberal Arts and Applied Science; and Wendy Kissel, assistant governor of Middletown’s Rotary Club. A Rotary Club is a local chapter of Rotary International; this is a world-wide organization of business and community leaders who volunteer their time not only for the betterment of their local communities, but for the global community as a whole; an endeavor that Miami University supports.
The theme was autumn, with colored leaf décor on every table and the lunch was Thanksgiving themed. The menu was roast turkey, mashed potatoes, steamed green beans, a salad bar, dinner rolls and a dessert table. For beverages, doners and attendees had the choice of ice water, lemonade, hot or iced tea.
After some time to eat and socialize, a PowerPoint presentation was shown, declaring the purpose of the luncheon to the doners. Briefly, the topic shifted to Miami’s upcoming move to becoming a polytechnic university. The work+ program and the partnership with Butler Tech were also mentioned.
Polytechnic education is a more hands-on approach to learning, focusing more on learning skillsets than grades. This fits with the evolving view of higher education from the general public, who are beginning to move away from the idea in favor of programs and paths that will have young people in a career quicker and with more practical knowledge than what can be given by traditional education.
The advertised event of the speeches was comparatively short. I, along with the four other scholars who chose to attend, gave our speeches, and we were each applauded by the doners.
When asked, only one attendee agreed to a question. When asked what he was hoping to achieve with his contribution, doner Bill Yang at first said, “That they continue to thrive and provide education for students, without the burden of debt.” Mr. Yang later came back and asked to rephrase his statement: “These scholarships are the water that allows the students to flourish.”
The event wrapped up with a ribbon-cutting for a new hiking trail on the campus. Moira Casey, interim Dean of Liberal Arts and Applied Science at Miami University Regionals, was given the honor of cutting the ribbon.
