President's Letter: Fall 2015

Dear Friends,

When I was a junior in high school, I remember the great delight I took in visiting Trinity for the first time, and the big dreams I had for studying politics in Washington. But upon returning home from that trip, the hard reality set in: with seven children to support and only my father’s modest salary, my Trinity dream was impossible.

Then one day in my senior year a letter arrived bearing amazing news: a generous benefactor would make it possible for me to receive a full tuition scholarship to Trinity! Little did that benefactor or I know how my life would change from that day forward, all for the better! Since that memorable moment, I have always felt a great responsibility to make good on that donor’s generosity by being of service to new generations at Trinity.

Trinity’s students are certainly more diverse today than when I was a student, but as my own story reveals, the need for scholarship support is timeless across many generations. While Trinity strives to keep tuition as low as possible, we always have many well-qualified students whose family circumstances simply cannot close the financial gap without additional scholarship support.

Scholarship support makes it possible for students to pay for tuition and books, reduce loan burdens, and even live in residence on campus, which contributes to academic success.
Scholarships pay large dividends in the success of our students and satisfaction for our donors. Just this year, for example, a Rotterman Scholar headed to Harvard for a summer research internship; a Luce Scholar has a graduate assistantship for chemistry at American University; and more than three dozen Conway scholars are advancing in their studies for nursing. The stories of these Trinity students on the pages of this magazine are a compelling testament to their hard work and the wisdom and generosity of the benefactors who have invested in their success.
I remain so grateful to the benefactor who made my education possible, and I rejoice every day for the benefactors who make it possible for our current and future generations of Trinity students to realize their dreams. Thank you!

President Patricia McGuire ’74