Gala highlights impact of philanthropy

The University of North Georgia (UNG) Foundation celebrated student scholarships and the philanthropy that makes them possible through its 10th annual Gala on Oct. 6 at the Convocation Center at UNG's Dahlonega Campus.

About 82% of UNG students seek financial assistance each year, and, since 2017, the UNG Foundation has awarded more than $17.5 million to students in the form of scholarships. Last year, the Foundation awarded just over $3.6 million.

"Donors matter," Nick Massengill, '81, chairman of UNG's Board of Trustees, said. "It's with those dollars that we can provide for so many, to get projects off the ground, to prepare people for their next level of life, and to help people with their college education."

UNG President Michael Shannon presented the Presidential Leadership Award to the Eagle Fund, which was organized by a group of alumni and veterans who came together in 2011 to support cadet scholarships.

"This award is presented to our community who have made a significant, positive impact on the life and advancement of the University of North Georgia," Shannon said to the 600 attendees. "The recipient is not an individual. It is a powerhouse group of veterans and alumni who came together in 2011 to create what is known as the Eagle Fund."

The fund supports cadets who are actively pursuing a commission in the U.S. armed forces, meet GPA requirements and demonstrate leadership potential and high moral character. As of June, there were more than 505 donors to the Eagle Fund. Since its inception, the Eagle Fund has awarded $261,000 to 69 cadets. Last year nine cadets benefited from the scholarship, including six returning cadets and three incoming cadets, each of whom received $5,000. Next year, 12 cadets will receive the $5,000, Shannon said.

Eagle Fund recipient Cadet Sgt. 1st Class Abigail Judge accepted the award on behalf of the scholarship donors.

"As I look around the room, I see the past, I see the present and I see the future of a great legacy of the Boar's Head Brigade," Judge said. "You cannot look forward without looking back, just as you cannot build a sound structure without a strong foundation. For the Boar's Head Brigade, it is our alumni, the members of the Eagle Fund, and the officers who have served our great nation and continue to serve with a focus on UNG through their support of our ROTC program and our current cadets. These men and women are our rock-solid foundation."

Judge is a freshman from Madison, Alabama, pursuing a degree in strategic and security studies with an international affairs concentration. Her father served in the Army for more than 30 years, including time in Jakarta, Indonesia, where Judge was born. Three years later, her adoption was finalized, and the family moved to Australia.

"I stand here, in front of this podium, before this amazing gathering of people, to accept this momentous award because of the United States Army," Judge said.

When she first visited the Dahlonega Campus, and later attended the National Leadership Challenge, Judge said she knew immediately that UNG would be her "path to her dream of becoming an officer in the greatest fighting force on the Earth, the U.S. Army."

Most recipients receive the Eagle Fund Endowed Scholarship, but two will receive designated scholarships, including the Carolyn Fears Memorial Eagle Fund Scholarship (given to a female cadet) and the Maj. Charles L. Kelly Memorial Eagle Fund Scholarship (given to a cadet pursuing a health or science-related major).

"The Eagle Fund Scholarship has been a blessing to me and has shown me that hard work does pay off," Yoana Garcia, 2023 Eagle Fund recipient, said. "I have a financial need that has caused me to work through college, so this scholarship has been a help with decreasing the number of hours of work so I can continue focusing on my schoolwork and extracurricular activities."

Garcia's father suffered a work-related injury and has not been able to work for over a year now. The scholarship has helped her to lessen the burden on her parents and herself so that she can continue her goal of becoming an Army officer and eventually an elementary school teacher.

Garcia is a sophomore from Smyrna, Georgia pursuing a degree in elementary and special education.

The gala featured additional student scholarship impact presentations, including testimonials from members of UNG’s 2023 NCAA Division II champion softball team and UNG’s Student Government Association President Emma Mitchell, who started her college journey at the Blue Ridge Campus and is now completing her education at the Dahlonega Campus.

Shannon challenged attendees to consider the life-changing impact they can have by helping students realize their goals of a college degree.

According to a 2023 lifetime earnings study commissioned by the University System of Georgia and conducted by the Selig Center for Economic Growth, the work-life earnings of Georgians with a bachelor’s degree will be $1,152,000 more than for those with a high school diploma — an 82% boost in work-life earnings for high school graduates who earn a bachelor’s degree.

Shannon, who took office as president on July 1, recently released a white paper titled "Bold Forward: Running into our Calling," which highlights seven areas of strategic focus through which UNG will differentiate itself and provide transformative experiences for students and deliver the workforce needed by the region, state and nation.