Being of service to others is one of CHC’s core values and a central tenet of our mission. So it stands to reason that the College would find a way to help those who help others.
About two years ago, a scholarship was established to recognize students who have served their communities in outstanding ways, whose history of making a positive impact on their schools, their faith communities and other areas helped them stand out as leaders.
High school guidance counselors from selected high schools were asked to recommend one or two students who were recognized service leaders — solid students in their senior year — who would continue the CHC legacy of service in the world.
Legacy of Service Scholarship recipients are awarded $2,500 per year for four years as full-time students at CHC. In 2014, 18 students enrolled under the Legacy of Service Scholarship. For the 2016-17 year, 80 students have been accepted to date.
“This program has already helped us recognize so many of these students for their service and we hope they continue to be of service throughout their college career and throughout their lives,” says Jodie King Smith, vice president for enrollment management. “Service is a vital part of the College’s mission and the legacy of the Sisters of Saint Joseph.”
When the students receive their acceptance packet from CHC, it comes with a red fleece blanket imprinted with the CHC crest. A notice with the blanket alerts the student that another blanket has been donated, in their honor, to a local homeless shelter. In late February, 100 blankets were donated to St. Francis Inn in Kensington.
“We hope that the blankets donated to St. Francis Inn will help those in need stay warm during the cold winter months,” says Gillian Chapline, marketing manager.
CHC’s legacy of service has been ongoing since its inception in 1924. The College community — students, alumni, faculty and staff — make a global impact in many ways, every day. The importance of continuing this tradition is reflected in that impact. And although only high school guidance counselors may nominate students to receive the scholarship, interested donors can help build the scholarship fund.
“These scholarships are tangible evidence of CHC’s mission and values at work, reflecting our holistic approach to education and embodied in the quote by Sister Maria Kostka Logue, ‘Chestnut Hill College will prepare you to earn a living because you must. But you are here to learn how to live,’” says Susannah Coleman, vice president for institutional advancement.
— Brenda Lange
Readers interested in supporting the Legacy of Service Scholarship may visit the College’s giving page,http://www.chc.edu/giving, and write, “For Legacy of Service Scholarships” in the comments section. Or they may write “Legacy of Service Scholarships” in the memo line of their check.
