I graduated from Dixie Heights High School in 1965. Yes, for the astute reader, that’s a very long time ago.
At our 50th reunion ten years ago, a number of us found ourselves thinking about some way we could give back to Dixie for what we felt had been an excellent educational experience.
At our Christmas Dinner several months later, someone suggested we establish a scholarship in our Class’s name. We passed around an envelope that evening to get contributions.
That proved to be the beginning of a worthwhile project. We decided to solicit contributions from class members via emails. This proved to be a successful strategy. We collected $2000 that year, all of which was dedicated to a scholarship for a deserving student to help defray the expenses of higher education.
With help from Dixie’s administration we established an application process for students, which involved their academic record at Dixie, letters of recommendation, and an essay about their experience and plans, and how our scholarship would help them achieve their goals.
Our success that first year fueled our determination to continue. Each year since, over the past 10 years, we have solicited and raised $2000, which we have awarded to a deserving student.
Because of its sizable amount, the scholarship has proven to be competitive. We have sometimes had to make difficult choices from among numerous outstanding applicants.
Meanwhile – we are growing older. For years at Dixie’s Honors Night, where we present the scholarship, we have made known our hope that one or more other classes might pick up on our project. To date none have.
This year – the year of our 60th reunion – we have collected, and just this week awarded, a $2500 scholarship. We have determined, given our dwindling numbers and health limitations, that this is our last year.
I close with these observations. This project demonstrates several important truths, about human nature and about how events unfold.
We began with a simple motivation, to give back to Dixie. And with a simple idea, to establish a class scholarship. And then with some simple thinking, about how to raise funds.
From these simple, non-ambitious beginnings we ended up collecting over $20,000 over 10 years, every penny of which was awarded to 10 students, to help them achieve their goals.
Lastly, for me personally, to have been involved in this project from the outset – I have been the one sending out emails soliciting contributions – has been a blessing. I have long believed that St. Francis had it right – that it is through giving that we receive. This has certainly been my experience with this project.
We remain hopeful that one or more other classes might take up our project. It is worthy.
Col Owens is a retired legal aid attorney and law professor, author of Bending the Arc Toward Justice, longtime Democratic Party activist, and member of the Boards of Directors of Kentucky Voices for Health and the Kentucky Board of Elections.