Scholarship Recipients Show Appreciation to Donors

Thomas Nelson President Dr. Porter Brannon (back row, center) stands with a number of scholarship winners at Monday's reception. (Photo by Harry Washington)

For the first time in three years, Thomas Nelson Educational Foundation scholarship winners were able to mingle with donors who made it all possible. The more than 40 people on hand March 21 at a Newport News hotel heard firsthand from those students how appreciative they were.

Six students, whose programs of study range from engineering to medicine, spoke about their varied backgrounds and journeys. They were traditional and non-traditional students. They did have one thing in common: appreciation for those who have helped make it possible.

"I'm experiencing a lot of things I could never dream of," said Milton Zacarias, a recipient of the Claude Moore Scholarship. "You do make a difference. Thank you for the support you gave us. This is what you have accomplished through your foundation."

Priya Patel was awarded the Gayle K. Blankenship Memorial Scholarship. She discovered an interest in science while attending Thomas Nelson.

"Not only was I able to focus on my classes, but I was able to do something different," she said. "This scholarship was amazing, and I'm very grateful for it."