Grateful Giving

As the holiday season approaches, many of us make a special effort to reflect on those who have impacted our lives, past and present, while also looking forward to the challenges and opportunities of the coming year. As a DCCL family, we enjoy the support of our cohort family and our broader, national network of DCCL friends. Every year, as our numbers grow, our ability to impact future leaders also grows.

In the spirit of reflection and thankfulness, we are re-energizing our Grateful Giving event, which will extend from November 1, until January 1, 2024. This fund-raising event’s focus is to enhance our support of DCCL scholarships. Currently, graduate scholarships are the most underfunded area of support in higher education. By including DCCL in your year-end plans, you are contributing to increased opportunities for our DCCL students. DCCL scholarships support DCCL students’ education and, thus, impact the future of community colleges and community college students across the country.

Your donation can support any of the DCCL endowed scholarships, DCCL Alumni Planning, or the Emergency Loan fund. This year’s Grateful Giving goal is $5,000.

Make A Gift

Don

Don Hutchison, Cohort 11

"The DCCL program is making it possible for me to do what I had considered impossible for most of my life - earn a doctorate degree. As the first in my immediate family to graduate from college, I feel it is my obligation to demonstrate to other racial minorities that we are not defined by the negative stereotypes that plague so many in the urban community. Rather, I am proof that our potential is limited only by our determination and our willingness to dream bigger.

The DCCL scholarship, in supporting my efforts to obtain a doctorate degree, indirectly supports those that I may influence in the coming years. I am profoundly grateful for the generosity of the scholarship trustees who selected me to receive this award. Thank you!"

Leonor Calderon, Texas Cohort 2

"As the daughter of immigrants from a low-social economic background, I mused about obtaining a doctoral degree, but due to financial limitations, it became a fleeting dream almost unrealized. However, the DCCL program provided this first-generation student the opportunity to move towards reaching this impossible aspiration. Receiving several DCCL scholarships alleviated financial stress and debt, allowing me to complete courses with exceptional academic progress. These scholarships profoundly impacted my experience as a student, educator, and leader. When financial scholarships are awarded to marginalized people of color, benefactors increase diversity, equity, and inclusion in higher education leadership—this is transformational contribution."

Darlene

Darlene Luce, Texas Cohort 2

"I would like to express my sincere gratitude. I am honored to have been awarded the Robert L. Ewigleben (2022-23) scholarship to help me fund my education and degree at Ferris State University. As a proud First-Generation college student, completing my doctoral degree is a dream come true and I hope to encourage and assist other students in their own educational journeys."