On April 24th, 2014, the Universities at Shady Grove (USG) celebrated the generosity and steadfast support of two individuals who have made college attendance possible for so many bright and dedicated individuals, Clifford and Camille Kendall. The Kendalls have donated full-tuition and fee scholarships to over 75 deserving students at the Universities at Shady Grove, and annually fund cash awards which recognize faculty and staff who have performed exceptionally in supporting student success at USG.
Numerous Kendall scholarship recipients past and present gathered to hear keynote speaker Jennifer Vasquez describe how receiving a Kendall scholarship alleviated the financial pressure of being the first in her family to earn a bachelor’s degree. Jennifer, a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park’s Communication program at USG, is now a field producer for the NBC news network based in Washington DC. Jennifer and several other Kendall scholars gathered at the event to present a unique thank you gift to the Kendalls, a framed “word cloud” art print entitled, “You Make Dreams Come True.”
Clifford Kendall also delivered remarks recounting he and Mrs. Kendall’s journey as the first in each of their families to graduate from college during a time when they were eligible for few scholarship dollars, and to stress the importance to students of “paying it forward” after graduation, either through mentorship, volunteerism, or encouraging fellow alumni to give back to their university. Mr. Kendall stressed that friendships gained through shared volunteer efforts are a reward that often lasts a lifetime.
Photos of the event are available here. To learn more about how to contribute to scholarship funds at the Universities at Shady Grove, click here.