The Challenge

We’re issuing a challenge for 101 young alumni to make a gift of any size to the Power of 5 Scholarship before SAU’s 101st Homecoming celebration on Saturday, October 1.

About the Power of 5

The Power of 5 movement began in 2015 when 112 young alumni joined together to fund two $1,000 scholarships for current SAU students. Most gifts to this effort were only $5, proving that anyone can make a difference in the lives of SAU students.

The Impact

A $5 gift may seem small to some, but it is transformational for Rose Witcher and Sam Strain, the first recipients of the Power of 5 Scholarship.

Rose, a junior from Rosston, graduated from Nevada High School and attended SAU for one semester before transferring to a community college where tuition was less expensive. She now aims to complete a bachelor’s degree in general business at SAU.

“I am dedicated and determined to finish strong at Southern Arkansas University,” Rose said in her scholarship application. She added that a scholarship would “give me peace of mind and more time to focus on my classes instead of stressing over whether or not I’ll be able to enroll or how I’ll pay for everything.”

Sam, an incoming freshman from Quitman, graduated from Rose Bud High School. He plans to study agricultural business and education at SAU. His dream is to one day own his own and operate his own farm while helping his father with the family’s dairy farm.

As the youngest of four siblings to attend college, family finances have been stretched, and Sam would not be able to attend college without scholarships. Nevertheless, he is not looking for a free ride.

“Probably the most important thing I have learned in my life is that I will have to work hard to get the job done – no matter how long it takes,” he said in his scholarship application. “Because I have had to work many long hours on the farm, I know that anything that is worth doing is worth doing right.”

Make your gift today!

You can help students like Rose and Sam by contributing to the Power of 5 Scholarship today! Click on a giving level to the right or click the “Make a Gift” button above to get started.

Changing a life has never been this easy!