The Georgetown Scholarship Program held its annual Thrive summit on Wednesday, Jan. 27. It is an event to congratulate first-year students on completing their first semester of college, which can certainly be a rough transition period for GSP students. The Thrive summit also pushes students to develop their Hilltop experience, as this year’s theme was “Finding Your Voice.” The unwavering support GSP offers its students is unquestionably beneficial; and this is why the alumni and faculty who make programs such as GSP possible through donations should be recognized.
After the College Access Index, published in September, revealed a decline in Georgetown’s rankings, The Hoya published many op-ed articles that supported Georgetown’s commitment to low-income students. Students pointed to the Georgetown Scholarship Program as a testament to the administration’s support of economic diversity among students. The administrators here at Georgetown work hard to ensure that low-income students remain enrolled in college, and Georgetown Scholarship Program would not be as successful as it is without the unyielding support of certain administrators who continually dedicate time and money to the program.
Yet, an important truth needs to be understood regarding how GSP is funded. The administration does give money toward the program, but the majority of its funds are the result of generous donor philanthropy. We should all acknowledge the time and effort spent by the GSP staff to ensure that every GSP student on campus has the funds they need to remain here, whether for food, medical bills or a winter coat. Furthermore, the generous alumni and faculty that donate deserve their due credit.
By acknowledging the donations from outside philanthropy, we can further encourage more donations and thus increase the ability of Georgetown to bring so many low-income and first-generation college students to campus. Furthermore, this acknowledgement demonstrates the wide-ranging support that these students have, not just from the administration, but from various alumni and faculty who recognize their contribution to campus.
