Annual Giving
Northwestern Celebrates Scholarship Giving at Annual Luncheon
This popular spring tradition provides an opportunity for scholarship benefactors and students receiving financial aid to meet one another and celebrate the impact of philanthropy
On April 8, 2018, more than 300 members of the Northwestern University community gathered together on the Evanston campus for the annual scholarship luncheon. This popular spring tradition provides an opportunity for scholarship benefactors and students receiving financial aid to meet one another and celebrate the impact of philanthropy.
Communication studies major and standout women’s basketball player Pallas Kunaiyi-Akpanah ’19 opened the program by sharing her Northwestern direction. Growing up in Abuja, Nigeria, her height set her apart from her peers. Recognizing that Kunaiyi-Akpanah’s stature might be advantageous in athletics, her parents enrolled her in a basketball academy. Kunaiyi-Akpanah’s talent brought her to the United States to play for the Rabun Gap-Nacoochee School in Georgia. There, she caught the attention of Northwestern’s coaching staff.
During an official recruiting visit to Evanston four years ago, Kunaiyi-Akpanah said, she fell in love with Northwestern at first sight and was excited to discover that it was academically rigorous and had a global reputation for excellence. The Ryan Family Athletic Scholarship made it possible for Kunaiyi-Akpanah to attend the University.
“I believe that the Northwestern experience has developed me not only as a student-athlete, but as a person who is looking forward to contributing and making an impact for the betterment of society,” said Kunaiyi-Akpanah. “Your generosity has changed the lives of countless students.”
President Morton Schapiro told guests that undergraduate need-based aid is one of his top priorities and that because of philanthropy, a Northwestern education is available to the best students, regardless of financial circumstances. Having talented students across the spectrum of backgrounds is essential to a vibrant and inclusive academic community, and it changes the trajectory of their lives forever.
Through We Will. The Campaign for Northwestern, alumni, parents, and friends have given more than $330 million toward scholarships and fellowships, including $133 million for undergraduate financial aid. Because of this generosity, Northwestern is able to award financial aid to 62 percent of full-time undergraduates. In 2017–18 alone, Northwestern’s endowment supported more than 1,400 undergraduates and 2,100 graduate students.
Schapiro told guests that he was inspired to start the luncheon at Northwestern so students and benefactors could spend time with each other. Grateful to supporters for their commitment to students, he said, “there are so many great charities and so many things that you can do with your philanthropy, even at Northwestern, but you care about need-based financial aid.”
Representing scholarship benefactors, University Trustee Steve Cahillane ’87 shared his Northwestern story. Born in the Bronx to a father who was New York City fireman and a mother who emigrated from Donegal, Ireland, Cahillane was a first-generation college student. After making a visit to Evanston with his family, he had his heart set on Northwestern.
“There was no way without scholarships, without financial aid, that I could have come here,” said Cahillane. “The professors genuinely cared about us as students and about us as people. And all of the different learning and cultural opportunities that I engaged in were transformative.”
The chief executive officer of Kellogg Company, Cahillane told guests that none of his career success would have been possible without Northwestern. In gratitude, he and his wife Tracy Cahillane ’88, established the Cahillane Family Scholarship Fund to support undergraduates. Whenever possible, Northwestern awards the scholarship to students whose parents are serving, or have served, in the military, as police officers, or as firefighters. This year, the fund benefits three students.
As Cahillane concluded the program, he encouraged students to make the most out of their time at the University. “Northwestern is a phenomenal place that you’ll appreciate more and more as the days go by.”
To learn more about the impact of scholarship giving or to make a gift, visit wewill.northwestern.edu/ScholarshipInfo.