As the cost of a college education continues to rise, offering scholarship support has become one of the main ways to attract and retain the best and brightest students to the University of Houston, the College of Technology and its programs.
The College recognized the generosity of donors who make it a priority to support students through scholarships during a luncheon on November 4. Students who received scholarships for the 2014-2015 terms were excited about making a personal connection with their supporters for the first time.
Dassalee Richardson, a supply chain and logistics technology major, balances her studies with a full-time position at ExxonMobil. "The philanthropy awards luncheon was inspiring and provided an opportunity for me to network with peers from the College of Technology and to express my appreciation and gratitude for my scholarship. I enjoyed meeting several professors and learned about the other scholarship opportunities," Dassalee said.
The Technology Philanthropy Awards are where scholarship funds touch and transform students' lives by providing hope and inspiration. "Our college is fortunate to have donors of all levels who recognize the importance of scholarships. Many times, the opportunity to receive a scholarship is the deciding factor for an incoming or transfer student in selecting UH over another institution," said Dean William E. Fitzgibbon. "Sometimes, the scholarship award is what allows the student to continue his or her coursework without interruption or distraction. I am deeply grateful for the generosity of Paul and Barbara Frison," said Dean Fitzgibbon.
Featured speakers for the awards luncheon, Paul and Barbara Frison, humbly shared their story about what moved them to create scholarship opportunities for UH College of Technology students. The Barbara and Paul Frison Scholarship, which was started in 2005, evolved from their empathy for students who have a great need for financial assistance, while dealing with the challenges of working and going to college full-time. "We realized that life is now very different from when we went to college," said Barbara Frison. "I cannot imagine being required to work and go to school full-time, and being expected to make the best grades," said Barbara, who reminisced about her experience as a typical student at the University of California Berkeley in the 60's.
The Frisons have supported nine different students with scholarships throughout the years. Like all of the other scholarship donors, the Frisons look forward to meeting the students and learning more about their families, and life goals. "Several have launched rewarding careers, which makes us proud. Each student has demonstrated the qualities and character of a winner," said Paul Frison.
The Paul and Barbara Frison Scholarship recipient, Lawrence Dang, expressed newfound inspiration after meeting the Frisons. "The Frisons are truly inspiring people because they are kind, selfless, and generous. I am very happy that I am the recipient of their scholarship, and I will do everything in my power to pay it forward," Lawrence said.