Dear Members of the Area Foundation Family,
As our young people experience the rites of passage of high school graduation, announcing their college of choice and preparing for their first semester in the fall, it’s a time of great celebration and reflection – particularly in today’s environment of drive-through graduations, virtual celebrations and yard signs signaling our collective well-wishes for this next generation.
It’s also a time at the San Antonio Area Foundation when over 100 funds award scholarships to hundreds of deserving students. It’s an opportunity to address the impact of generational poverty, honor the hard work of our young people and make one of the most significant investments in a person’s life.
Over 1,3000 Students Awarded/Renewed Scholarships
We are in a season of celebration with 659 new scholarship awards announced, totaling $3.4 million in scholarships. Individuals, families and corporations who have made the strategic decision to invest in our youth are the reason for all this joy rising! Without caring donors like yourself, these moments are simply not possible. Our donors were supported by nearly 125 volunteers who vetted hundreds upon hundreds of applicants, all guided by the expertise of Area Foundation staff.
The dedicated team at the Area Foundation also facilitated 645 scholarship renewals by contacting students through phone calls and through texting, one of their favorite ways to communicate. We’re talking 4,000 text messages in total! In return, scholarship recipients are videotaping their gratitude to share with their respective donor. Here’s a compilation of several videos students created, just to give you a sense of what donors are seeing in their email:
MEET TIFFANY PADILLA, WHOSE LIFE IS FOREVER CHANGED THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF A PLANNED GIFT
One of the scholarship funds we manage each year is the Ida V. Holland Educational Trust, which awards one new student each year. This scholarship dates back to 1944, when Mrs. Holland, a widow, created a planned gift trust providing perpetual scholarships for generations to come. It’s a renewable scholarship, meaning that students can achieve funding throughout their college years!
This year’s award was made to Tiffany Padilla. We had an opportunity to learn more about Tiffany, and we were so enamored with her joie de vivre that we decided to share more of her story with you.
Tiffany is planning to attend Dallas Baptist University, in an accelerated program designed to help her achieve not only an undergraduate degree but also complete a graduate program with a concentration in counseling in approximately four years.
Tiffany has always known that her purpose in life was to help children. Her early dreams involved becoming a pediatrician, then perhaps a teacher, finally landing on becoming a Christian-based counselor.
Tiffany has come to understand that patterns set early in life can ultimately shape the rest of a young person’s destiny. “Young people need a wise adult in their life and investing in our youth is what drives me,” Tiffany shared. “People have innate value, there is a plan for a person’s life and being able to help someone realize that is one of the most fulfilling roles I can imagine.”
Not only was Tiffany an excellent academic talent for this award, she is fully responsible for 100 percent of her tuition, since her beloved father experienced a stroke a couple of years ago, which in turn took its toll on the family’s income. Because of Tiffany’s strong faith, devotion to her studies and making a difference throughout her high school career, she has been awarded multiple scholarships, which will make her first year of college an esteemed private institution nearly tuition-free!
Further, Tiffany is starting out ahead of the game with 27 dual-credit hours attained during high school, as well as participating in an accelerated collegiate program that will have her in the workforce much sooner than traditional programs. It’s students like Tiffany who are the leaders of our future. Congratulations, Tiffany!
Stronger Together
As we wrap up celebrations for students, Area Foundation board member Lorenzo Gomez III will be sharing words of wisdom with this year’s scholarship recipients via video. Lorenzo is a celebrated author/storyteller, tenacious team player and technologist with a passion for entrepreneurship. His leadership roles include serving as past CEO of Geekdom, Texas’ largest coworking space, co-founder of Geekdom Media and co-founder of The 80/20 Foundation.
In the meantime, if our team of professionals can provide any assistance or answer any questions, please engage with your relationship manager, or email us at givenow@saafdn.org.
We will continue to update you as our community’s needs evolve during the coronavirus crisis and recovery efforts.
Thank you for your support as we care for each other and our community through this time.
With appreciation,
