Donnelly hosted its second annual Scholarship Dinner on September 6, 2008, at the Jack Reardon Convention Center in Kansas City, Kan. The dinner honored the Benedictine Sisters of Mount St. Scholastica for their many contributions to Donnelly. More than 300 guests attended the event, raising $104,050 toward the creation of a Benedictine Sisters Endowed Scholarship Fund.
Keynote speakers included Lawrence (Larry) Ward, Class of 1956, and Anita Dixon, Class of 1984.
Sister Constance (Connie) Krstolic, ’64, one of six Benedictine sisters who are also Donnelly Alumni, served as emcee for the evening. “Where would many of us be if it were not for the dedication of the sisters at Donnelly?” she asked.
The Robert Frost poem, “A Road Less Traveled,” provided the perfect theme for the dinner, as it illustrates Sr. Jerome Keeler’s bold vision for the college and its unique heritage.
“The sisters have, without question, taken that path less traveled,” said Larry Ward, Chairman Emeritus, Shughart Thomson & Kilroy, P.C. “Almost sixty years later, the mission of Donnelly College remains strong. The need is still here for a Catholic college to serve those who would not otherwise have the opportunity for an education.
Donnelly was there for me, and I am proud to say that although I was the first in my family to graduate college, I was not the last.”
Anita Dixon, owner of Cultural Convention and Visitor Services, also gave a heartfelt testimony. “In 1982, as a single mom, I was led to Donnelly. I remember the prayer, ‘God anything that I can do to further my life.’ ...My path has certainly been one less traveled, because I’m not your usual speaker-before-Congress that I turned out to be. And that’s because Donnelly constantly for the last 24 years has nurtured me through some aspect of what I was to become.”
Since Donnelly’s founding in 1949, the Benedictine sisters have contributed more than $4 million in services to Donnelly. To honor the contributions of these wonderful women, the college unveiled a permanent tribute to the sisters that is prominently displayed in the front hallway of the college’s main building. Alumni and friends are encouraged to stop by and see this impressive tribute, as well as 60-years of class portraits newly displayed along the walls of the first floor hallway.
Prior to the scholarship dinner, guests attended an open house event held in Donnelly’s main building. Here they had the chance to mingle with the College’s new president, Steve LaNasa, other alumni, students, faculty members, friends of the College, and more than 60 Benedictine sisters.
“In looking at Donnelly’s rich history, it is clear that the Benedictine sisters and all others involved have repeatedly taken the road less traveled,” said LaNasa. “Our approach has ‘made all the difference’ to thousands of students and members of the Kansas City community. And today, Donnelly ranks among a very small number of private institutions nationally so committed to the form of educational access we provide.”
“I am extremely proud to be a part of an institution with so much potential for growth—growth made possible by our continued commitment to the mission laid out by the Benedictines nearly 60 years ago.”
Student ambassadors attending the Scholarship Dinner had a chance to mingle with alumni and friends of the college, learning about its history and legacy. “I learned so much about Donnelly at the dinner,” said Paola Zapata, a third-year baccalaureate student. “It was inspiration to hear what Donnelly means to different people and how it has made such a profound impact on their lives.”
Next year, Donnelly will host its Third Annual Scholarship Dinner on Saturday, September 26, 2009 at the Jack Reardon Convention Center. This dinner will celebrate a remarkable milestone for Donnelly, serving
as the formal kick-off to the college’s year-long 60th anniversary celebration. Mark your calendars now to attend this remarkable celebration, and visit the website for more information.