Not in theory, but in numbers. In choices. In the moment a “maybe” becomes a “yes.”
Across campus, the changes are concrete. A student who planned to commute signs a housing contract and joins the environmental steward program. A First-Year Seminar sharpens as top-tier students press the argument. A theater major accepts an unpaid practicum downtown because the award covers the hours they can’t work.
Meg Dees, Vice President for Development, said the gift is a reminder of philanthropy’s impact:
“A scholarship changes the conversation for a student and their family,” Dees said. “It can be the difference between wondering if college is possible and knowing that it is. This gift opens that door for many students, and we are grateful.”
Dr. Monica R. Cowart, Executive Vice President and Provost, said the commitment strengthens the heart of Catawba’s academic life.
“Scholarships make it possible for students to thrive at Catawba,” Cowart said. “When we welcome more Presidential Scholars into the classroom, the level of dialogue and curiosity deepens for everyone. This gift is an investment in learning itself.”
This $3 million gift provides immediate-use scholarship funding for Presidential Scholars—students whose academic achievement and promise stand out among their peers. That means support that reaches multiple incoming classes and shows up where it matters.
The effect is clear: when more Presidential Scholars fill Catawba’s classrooms, labs, teams, and stages, they elevate the work of everyone around them. This gift opens the door for those students to choose Catawba—and, once there, to shape its future.
About Where Our Good Goes
Where Our Good Goes is Catawba College’s comprehensive fundraising campaign, designed to expand opportunities for students, enhance academic and campus life, and strengthen the College’s impact on communities near and far. Grounded in Catawba’s mission of scholarship with character and culture for service, the campaign reflects the College’s enduring belief that when we invest in students today, their good will go far tomorrow. Learn more at catawba.edu/whereourgoodgoes.
