Skip to main content

Students Inspire Donors at Annual Scholarship Gathering

Scholarship awardees Shawntell Ashby (l-r), Jonah Burton and Lupita Porras.

In a roomful of stories about triumph and perseverance while earning a college degree, three stood out during the annual Salt Lake Community College Scholarship Luncheon honoring donors and students.

Students Lupita Porras, Jonah Burton and Shawntell Ashby spoke at the SLCC Miller Campus in front of about 300 people, some of whom included donors to the college’s 135 privately funded scholarships. They thanked donors, who have helped 472 students just in the 2019-20 academic year alone.

Jonah Burton

Burton, who struggled in high school and did not think he could afford college, said donors to his full-tuition scholarship allow him to fulfill his dreams by being able to pursue an education toward a career as an emergency medical technician. “To every donor joining us today, thank you,” he said. “You make a difference with each dollar you give. It means the world to have someone you don’t even know believe in you and help you go to college.”

The SLCC Foundation has spent over $1 million in donated funds on scholarships at this point in its fiscal year, up over the $676,032 it spent at the same time last year. Competition for scholarship dollars among students has also increased, with 12,000 students applying for funds for the Fall 2020 semester.

“One of the programs we are able to provide is SLCC Promise,” SLCC President Dr. Deneece G. Huftalin told donors. “We are proud that since 2013, we have awarded $3 million in Promise scholarships. … Your generosity allows us to truly eliminate many of the financial barriers that come with higher education.”

Lupita Porras

Lupita Porras started at SLCC in 2016 and sold homemade candy, baked goods and even chickens and eggs to help pay for college one class at a time. “I didn’t know the first thing about college, but I began the journey with hope that I would succeed,” she said. “I am this close to graduating next semester, and after that I am heading to the University of Utah to continue studying writing and rhetoric. None of that would be possible without your generosity. … Please know that your generosity is helping not just one student, but also my whole family.”

Because there have been more donations, SLCC is able to offer 25 scholarships for the upcoming summer semester instead of the usual five. But with so many more SLCC students needing help to finish their degrees and certificates, the college’s Development Office is increasing its current fundraising efforts toward a goal of $10 million.

Shawntell Ashby

Shawntell Ashby is following in the footsteps of her mother, Kristy Ashby, an SLCC alumna, and someday wants to be an occupational therapy assistant. Mom also earned several scholarships. “I had been saving money for as long as I can remember, but I knew I wasn’t going to have enough to pay for my education,” Ashby said. She and her mother cried on the phone when she found out she earned a scholarship. “I remember the tears streaming down my face as I whispered into the phone, my voice full of shock, ‘Mom, do you know what this means? I can go to school now.’”

If you are interested in more information about donating toward scholarship funds at SLCC, click here or call 801-957-4658.

More highlights from the 2020 Scholarship Luncheon:

ABC 4 host Emily Clark emceed the event.

Students and donors below:








Popular posts from this blog

Rev Up Your Future at SLCC Annuals Hop into College

SLCC West Valley Center will be opening its doors on Friday, August 2, from 6-9 pm for their annual lowrider event that celebrates the automotive culture and welcomes current, past, and future Bruins into the SLCC community. This unique event allows lowriders to showcase their vehicles and for spectators to witness the creativity, craftsmanship, and passion that goes into a lowrider car. From the sleek custom paint jobs to the impressive hydraulics showcased at the hop-off, attendees get immersed in the vibrant culture created by SLCC West Valley’s community. Beyond the car show, Hop into College provides prospective students and their families the opportunity to explore SLCC, engage with their future peers, staff and faculty and obtain valuable insight into the degrees and programs offered. Furthermore, the community is provided with countless beneficial resources not only as an SLCC student but as a community member. Whether interested in learning more about the lowrider community o...

SLCC Alumnus and U.S. Diplomat to Speak at 2025 Commencement

Salt Lake Community College’s 2025 Commencement speaker Branigan Knowlton will share his perspectives drawn from a 12-year career as a Foreign Service Officer with the U.S. Department of State. In serving his country, Knowlton has honed his foreign relations and diplomacy skills in Hong Kong, Mexico, Colombia and Italy. Knowlton is also a proud Salt Lake Community College (SLCC) alumnus (2002).     Knowlton currently serves at the U.S. Embassy in Rome. Before reporting to the embassy, he was detailed to the Italian Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport as part of the Transatlantic Diplomatic Fellowship program. In Bogotá, Knowlton worked for the Bureau of International Narcotics and Law Enforcement, and in Hermosillo, Mexico, he worked for the Bureau of Consular Affairs. His first assignment abroad was in Hong Kong, where he worked for the Bureau of East Asian and Pacific Affairs.     "I've actively sought opportunities that push me into the unfamiliar, even when ...

Recognizing SLCC's 2025 Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering

The Distinguished Faculty Lecturer is a recognition of quality work by one of Salt Lake Community College’s full-time faculty and a charge to develop that work over an academic year into a public presentation. A committee chosen by the Associate Provost for Learning Advancement selects the faculty lecturer each year. The lecture takes place in the spring. Distinguished Faculty Lecturer Andrew Vogt, PhD Associate Professor, Engineering Dr. Andrew Vogt’s teaching philosophy is guided by two principles, curiosity and efficiency.  “Curiosity leads us to study a topic and allows us to really understand the ins and outs of research, while efficiency is all about sustainability,” he says. Andrew describes curiosity as a pure, open-minded impulse to explore, such as the ease with which children learn new concepts with virtually no instruction. Efficiency adds maturity to that childlike impulse, creating structures and pathways for accomplishment.  Andrew’s work has alwa...