The College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) held their annual Scholars Night Event on March 10, 2022 honoring student scholars, their families, and the donors who supported their UConn education.

Donor support provides financial support allowing students to enrich their educational and experiential opportunities while at UConn and reduces the potential burden for families. In 2021, CAHNR awarded over $868,000 in total scholarship funding. This included nearly 500 scholarships to 361 deserving students.

The virtual event kicked off with remarks from CAHNR leadership, Associate Dean of Academic Programs Sandra Bushmich and Dean Indrajeet Chaubey.

“To the student scholars: you come to CAHNR ready to tackle the world, to hone your skills as future leaders, and to develop relationships with friends and faculty that will last a lifetime. To our dedicated donors: you provide invaluable support that allows our students and their families to embark on a college experience with less worry of financial hardships and focus only on opportunity. Together, you form the foundation of our College and pave the way for a bright future,” says Chaubey.

The event also featured remarks from UConn Provost, Carl Lejuez.

“CAHNR students are involved in such impactful work. No matter which path a CAHNR student takes, you are part of the College’s highly strategic, impactful, and authentic One Health approach that supports the interconnection of humans, animals, and the environment as central in our efforts to build a thriving society that is sustainable and resilient,” says Lejuez.

CAHNR donor Paul Schur shared the donor perspective on the importance of philanthropy for students. Schur and his wife Sue provide support for the Schur Family Scholarship in Environmental Health and the Schur/Silbart Scholarship in Environmental and Allied Health.

“We, like many of you, donate because we have a strong bond to the College. Each year we receive a meaningful letter from one of the students who is a recipient of our scholarship. It is a microglimpse of the student and what they hope to become. Students such as these continue to maintain our connection to the College. Hopefully our financial support also helps to slightly reduce the fiscal burden for a student,” says Schur.

Chloe Zampetti, a senior majoring in natural resources, closed the event with inspirational words to student scholars and words of thanks for the donors and their support.

She explains the impact that receiving a scholarship can have for a student.

“For some, [a scholarship] may represent that their hard work and dedication to their studies and extracurricular activities has been worth it. For others, it can serve as a reminder that someone believes they are capable, regardless if they themselves do. For others, it can provide the relief of knowing that some of the financial weight that comes with university enrollment has been taken off their shoulders. And for many, it represents all of the above.”

Visit the CAHNR Office of Academic Programs website to watch the entire CAHNR Scholars Night event and view the full list of student scholarship recipients.

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