CFAC celebrates student success with scholarship donors
Scholarship and Donor Recognition Luncheon held Nov. 17
“Receiving a scholarship means so much to me — not just financially, but emotionally as well. As an artist I’ve always used my work as a way to process the world around me and connect with others. Whether I’m painting, designing, or experimenting with new media, art has always been where I feel most like myself. Being chosen for a scholarship has given me a new sense of confidence and validation in my artistic path. It reminds me that others see value in what I’m creating and that encouragement is incredibly powerful.” —Aleria Fowler, School of Art and Design
“Thank you so much to the donors of the J. Public Relations scholarship and the School of Communication Study Abroad scholarship. I am so honored to be the recipient of not one, but two of these amazing scholarships. This summer I was able to study abroad in France as a part of the La Rochelle program with Dr. Larkin Murphy in the French language department. I spent approximately a month in different cities in France, learning, engulfing myself in a new lifestyle, and embracing different cultural values and traditions. I believe that this experience invited my mind to expand in so many different aspects that will push me to excel in my academic and professional career. I have developed a new vigor to explore our world, inspiring me to study abroad as much as I can as I pursue my undergraduate degree, and even after graduation I will continue to learn and explore. Life has so much to offer, and I will continue to discover its gifts and treasures.
“‘N’oublie pas de vivre’ — Don’t Forget to Live — my favorite quote I discovered during my trip abroad. Thank you so much to the generous donors who allowed my dreams to become a reality.” —Kamden Wiggins, School of Communication
Two student quotes in the program and two students speaking at the podium helped East Carolina University’s College of Fine Arts and Communication honor the generosity of donors, whose support helps fuel the success of its students.
The college held its annual Scholarship and Donor Recognition Luncheon on Nov. 17, with about 100 students, donors, and college leaders sharing stories and experiences.
Some enjoyed stories outside their area of expertise. Frani Boberg, who supports the School of Music and has attended Four Seasons performances for years, said she “loved” sitting with School of Theatre and Dance students, and enjoyed attending the luncheon.
“I would tell anybody to go here,” she said of ECU. “They thoroughly took care of my grandson.”
Students Abigail Ortiz, a music student, and Elizabeth Ciarrocchi, a theatre student, shared their stories with the group and thanked donors for helping students like them pursue their dreams.
Abigail Ortiz
Elizabeth Ciarrocchi
Ortiz, a senior, plays the oboe and studies music therapy, working as an interventionist with the research study “Listen, Breathe, Move,” a collaboration between music and kinesiology offering self-care tools to informal caregivers.
“I am so grateful for all of the experiences and opportunities that I have had during my time at ECU so far, and the doors that it has opened to my future,” Ortiz said. “I wouldn’t be here today without scholarship support.”
Ciarrocchi is a musical theatre performance and professional acting senior, and said she has reportedly been performing since she first started walking and talking. She expressed gratitude for having family support, and seeing that support continue on her college journey.
“It is incredible to have a group of people and a college that is willing to support me and my endeavors, both financially and coming out to the shows to support us,” she said. “Thank you for believing in young adults as artists and communicators.”
Also offering advice and encouragement was ECU alum Jenni Kolczynski ’85 — known as Jenni K. — who graduated with a BFA in metalsmithing, runs a local jewelry business, and funds a School of Art and Design scholarship. She is married to fellow alum Dr. William Bogey, a retired Brody School of Medicine surgeon, and their two children are also ECU graduates.
Jenni K. passes out “scrap Saturday” bracelets she created.
She encouraged connection and communication, and to give back to the university when possible to make an impact for the next generations of students. She also expressed great appreciation for the letters she receives from student scholarship recipients, and recalled the advice she received to start a Rolodex and keep track of the people she met.
“Please keep that connection with your professors,” she said to the students in the room. “They are there to help mentor you, take care of you. They are special gifts.”
Sharing her own special gift, Kolczynski passed out purple bags to other donors, presenting bracelets she created on a “scrap Saturday,” when she cleans her jewelry bench and creates new pieces using leftover scraps and shapes from other pieces she created during the week.
Another special gift for top donors was a delicate metal brooch created by MFA student Stacy Rodgers. For five years the college has offered a competition in which students vie for the chance to create the donor gift. The winner receives a scholarship, funds to create the gift, and the resume line of creating a commissioned piece. Donor Harvey Wooten has funded the program for the last four years, and at the luncheon offered to continue.
“These things are possible because of our community,” said college Dean Linda Kean. “We love being able to give back to our donors, and to be able to support our students and get our students’ work out there.”
Kean recognized the donors’ generosity — “I’ll tell you one thing I’ve learned is Pirates love supporting Pirates” — and the students’ passion, and encouraged everyone to engage with the many events and activities offered.
“One of the things I am always asked is how the College of Fine Arts and Communication fits together,” Kean said. “It’s about creating meaning and messages. And those messages may be written, they may be visual, they may be dance, music, theatre, but it’s all about creating messages and meaning to connect to our audiences and tell a story.
“I’m so impressed with the students we have here who are telling those stories and creating those messages.”
Those interested in supporting fine arts and communication students at ECU can find a variety of options online.