Growing Knowledge
Scholarship recipient Lori Hanks ’99 pays it forward to the next generation
Lori Hanks ’99 has always forged her own path through life, so it is no surprise that she found a non-traditional way to celebrate her birthday last fall. As a present to herself, Hanks made a gift to the Hannah Bradley Endowed Scholarship at Regis College in the amount she once received as a student scholar.
“One of my goals over the years has been to replenish the scholarship received and pay it forward,” says Hanks. “Choosing to donate on my birthday completed the circle—a celebration of a gift that I could now pass on.”
Although Hanks’ journey to Regis had many twists and turns that took nearly a decade for her to navigate, she remained determined. Making her way to Regis in her mid-30s, Hanks arrived with hopes and dreams, as well as enormous responsibilities.
“I was a single mother and responsible for the functional realities of life: rent, food, child care; the list goes on,” shares Hanks. Just when Hanks was unsure whether she could keep up the balancing act, her mentor pointed her in the direction of the Hannah Bradley Scholarship.
Established in 1994 by former trustee Jacalyn C. Egan ’96, the Hannah Bradley Endowed Scholarship is awarded to non-traditional students pursuing an undergraduate degree who are facing the daunting struggles of balancing work, life, and education.
“I am truly grateful to Jacalyn for recognizing the problem that non-traditional students face and designing a solution that continues to propagate as it is sown,” says Hanks. “The tree of knowledge this scholarship helped me plant is still growing and its shade has been enjoyed by myself and the whole family.”
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