DONOR SPOTLIGHT LouAnn Daly
Yes to a Dream
Donor LouAnn Daly was one of the featured speakers at the HCC Foundation’s May 15 Scholarship Reception. These are her remarks.
So, I have something to say to every one of you.
All of us are here because you said yes to a dream. Too many people give up on dreams. They buy into the notion that they won’t have the support, that they can’t do it; life is too much of a struggle; they can’t see the way through. So, for whatever reason, they don’t start.
Well, because you said yes to a dream, faculty at Holyoke Community College get to live their dream because they get to teach you. And the staff at Holyoke Community College gets to live their dream because they learned to do whatever it takes to support you in any way.
Everybody lives a dream when one person says yes, because one person doesn’t go to college — the whole family goes to college, and all their friends go to college, because that’s what you talk about, and that’s what you bring home — other than laundry — and your kids get to watch what’s possible — because you said yes.
And people like me get to give a little back. I’ve met the most extraordinary students today, because I was a first-generation college student. One of the two scholarships I support is for my parents, the Edward and Ruth Daly Family Scholarship. They didn’t get to go to college. They were both super intelligent, but they didn’t have the funds, and they didn’t have the opportunities.
“When any one of us says yes to something we hold deeply in our hearts, we don’t always know how it’s going to happen, or how we’re going to get there.”
— LouAnn Daly
The other scholarship is in memory of my godmother, Jean Armitage. She had one dream in life, and that was to go to college, although she couldn’t go because the family was on welfare, and, in those days, when you turned 18 you were required to go to work to support the family.
Though they’re not here physically, they get to be honored because you said yes to a dream.
Please remember something: when any one of us says yes to something we hold deeply in our hearts, we don’t always know how it’s going to happen, or how we’re going to get there.
I didn’t have the money to stay in school for four years, so I finished in three and worked two jobs the whole way. And then my undergraduate school said, here’s some money, go to grad school. So I did, and at 39 years old, I paid off my loans, and even that was a long time ago. Even my grammar school gave me money to go to school.
You never know the opportunities you give people to feel like they can help you make a difference. Never, ever question your ability to live into everything you’re here to do, because all of us want to find a way to raise up a community. You’ve chosen a brilliant school with caring, heartfelt people. And you’ve said yes. Please keep saying yes. We all benefit.”
SCHOLAR SPOTLIGHT Diana Rodriguez
Relighting the Spark
Diana Rodriguez is pursuing an associate degree in Human Resource Management. Last spring she was awarded the LouEllen Dabbs Scholarship from the HCC Foundation. She gave these remarks during the foundation’s May 15 Scholarship Reception.
Originally, I attended a prestigious private college, but even with financial aid, I had to work three jobs to afford to stay in school. To say I was overwhelmed would be an understatement. And worse, I didn’t feel like I belonged.
I struggled to find community, to find encouragement from school personnel, and the imposter syndrome was in full force. When I eventually dropped out, I felt like I had failed. I carried the hopes of my family that I would someday be someone great, but I had let them down. And for a really long time after that, I felt defeated and unfulfilled. When I decided to take the leap and go back to school years later as a mom in her 30s, I was nervous. Really nervous. I wasn’t sure I could do it. I was so scared that I was throwing away a secure job and an affordable apartment, just to fail again.
When I began my first semester classes, I started slow and stayed in the comfort of my own home. I just wanted to prove to myself that I could do it, and I did. I ended the semester with straight A’s.
This spring, I wanted to take things a step further. I decided to go on campus and finally check out some of those clubs and activities that HCC sends me notices about every week. And as the weeks went by, even though I’m a fully remote student, I found a sense of belonging on campus.
I joined in-person study groups. I joined the Radio Club, and I started learning new skills from peers that I met at the radio station. I visited my professors during office hours, and they welcomed me with warmth and encouragement. I joined TRIO Student Support Services and even was accepted into the Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society.
Every staff member I’ve interacted with, from those at the Scholarship Resource Center, to the Thrive Center and the Campus Center, has made it clear they want me to succeed. And I’m not just succeeding, I’m thriving.
I’ve pushed myself, I’ve stayed involved, and I’ve already achieved more than I thought I could. Bit by bit, my confidence has been restored, and this scholarship you’ve given me — it’s not just financial. It’s time, time to study, time to be a mom to my two kids, time to take care of myself, and that time has been vital to my success.
To all the donors in the room, you didn’t just write a check. You changed the trajectory of someone’s life. You relit the spark, and for someone who was so sure they had burned out, you gave me a second chance.
So, thank you. Thank you for investing in students like me. Thank you for believing that we’re worth it. Because of your generosity, I’ve gone from someone who doubted she could finish college to someone who knows that she can.”
