“A scholarship is more than a check,” keynote speaker Michael L. Lomax told a sold-out crowd of 1,250 Friday night at the St. Louis American Foundation’s 2010 Salute to Excellence in Education, a black tie gala held at America’s Center.
Lomax, the president and CEO of the United Negro College Fund, pointed out that scholarships also offer intangible support and encouragement, especially to first-generation college students.
At the 2010 Salute event, the St. Louis American Foundation awarded an impressive array of educators and institutions, including Lifetime Achiever (Zelema Harris, chancellor of St. Louis Community College), Stellar Performer (Stanton Lawrence, superintendent of Normandy School District) and the Monsanto School of Excellence, Patrick Henry Elementary School.
It was also a night for scholarships – for checks and more than checks.
At this year’s event, the St. Louis American Foundation awarded more than $159,000 in individual full and partial scholarships for 12 students, educator grants and other local grants. Each of this year’s scholarship recipients also received new, state-of-the-art laptop computers through Missouri Lottery.
Harris and Lawrence, in turn, donated their respective grants to non-profits that further their respective educational missions: the St. Louis Community College Foundation and Beyond Housing, which has been very critical in assisting the Normandy district.
Patrick Henry Elementary School received eight laptops and a $2,500 grant as part of its 2010 Monsanto School of Excellence award.
The St. Louis American Foundation also continued and deepened its existing partnership with the University of Missouri-Columbia, which now provides a comprehensive scholarship in the name of foundation president Dr. Donald M. Suggs.
This year’s University of Missouri–Columbia Dr. Donald M. Suggs scholar is Ryan L. Olive Jr. Of the $57,000 scholarship, $47,000 was provided by the university and $10,000 by the St. Louis American Foundation.
For the second year in a row, Southeast Missouri State University provided a Donald M. Suggs Scholarship, for $30,000, to Curstan Dye. SEMO also presented Katherine Bailey, a career resource coordinator for University City High School, with the 2010 SEMO Counselor of the Year award.
Coretha Bynum Dabney received the inaugural PNC Bank Early Childhood Educator of the Year award, and Jeanette White received the 2010 Washington University George Warren Brown School – School Social Worker of the Year award.
This was the 23rd year for the Salute to Excellence in Education Scholarhip & Awards Gala. Yet another seasoned and well-traveled keynote speaker drew a deep breath and commented on the impressive spectacle of 1,250 finely attired people – most of them African-American – turned out at a convention center to honor local educators.
“I go to a lot of dinners,” said Lomax of UNCF. “And this dinner is unique, inspiring.”
The sold-out audience also had a chance to celebrate with St. Louis American Publisher Donald M. Suggs and his staff a new achievement: for the first time, the paper has just been recognized by Suburban Newspaper of America as the Best Non-Daily Paper (37,500 circulation and above) in all of North America.
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