UVU alumni helps raise single-parent scholarship fund

Garret Stirland
Senior Staff Writer

Adam Webb, a UVU entrepreneurship graduate, partnered with the nonprofit agency Going Beyond Borders in 2014 to create a scholarship fund for single-parent students enrolled at UVU.Earlier this month nearly 200 guests attended a formal dinner and a silent action, which brought in almost $50,000 dollars for the scholarship fund.

“I listened to three single moms at a UVU donor luncheon express with tears how deeply scholarships had impacted their lives,” said Webb in a written statement. “They explained how the financial pressures of raising kids alone forced them to choose between work and education; scholarships were their ticket to improving the quality of life for their kids.”

The scholarship money raised by Webb and Going Beyond Borders is an example of the engagement of UVU alumni continuing engagement in the UVU community after graduation.

I think that is a great step in the right direction,” said Austin Stevenson, an exercise science major at UVU. “My sister is a single parent, and I know for a fact that if she had the funds, she would go back to school. Which would sort of change everything for her.” 

Webb says that the fundraiser is the first step to create a safe and lasting scholarship reservoir for single parents attending UVU, which could potentially help these parents for years to come. 

The philanthropic cause gives underserved individuals the opportunity to get an education, which for some people, can be a means to improve the quality of life for those who need it. 

In 2014, the Bureau of Labor Statistics reported that, on average, an individual with a bachelor’s degree made $433 more per week than an individual with a high school diploma, which comes out to be $22,516 per year. 

“There are all sorts of unforeseen things I have to pay for,” said Leandra Brooke, a single mother and UVU graduate. “Just to make sure my kids are getting what they need is hard enough. A scholarship fund would help in tons of different areas. It would have made my life easier while going to school, but I am so happy I got my degree. It is invaluable.”

Continued donations to the Going Beyond Borders Endowment Scholarship fund will help the scholarships grow and offer assistance to single parents wanting to extend their education at UVU. 

To donate, visit goingbeyondboarders.org or supportuvu.org