UM Celebrates the Importance of Scholarships at Annual Impact Luncheon

May 12, 2026

Members of the University of Montevallo community gathered in Anna Irvin Dining Hall for the annual Scholarship Impact Luncheon on April 16. Hosted by the UM Foundation, this event allows donors who have funded scholarships to meet the students who have benefited from their generosity and gives those students an opportunity to express their gratitude.

The event opened with a musical performance by graduating senior Tre’ Daniel, a piano performance major who made his Carnegie Hall debut in Weill Recital Hall as part of the InterHarmony Concert Series in November 2025.

This year’s luncheon featured biochemistry major and women’s lacrosse player Claire Withington as a student speaker. In 2025, Withington had the opportunity to intern at Harvard Medical School alongside one of UM’s distinguished alumni, Dr. Richard Cummings ’74. Cummings, director of the National Center for Glycomics Research, invites a UM student to study in the lab each summer as one of his many ways of giving back to his alma mater.

Withington described her research of COSMC and T synthase — enzymes that help add sugar molecules to proteins — during her internship. She shared that she will be continuing her education at the University of Georgia and has been asked to return to Harvard to continue her research in the meantime.

“As I look ahead to starting my Ph.D., I carry not only the knowledge and experience that I gained at my internship, but also a great appreciation for the donors who make this possible for me,” Withington said. “Support from donors like Dr. Cummings doesn’t just fund scholarships for programs — it truly does shape students’ futures.”

The event continued with a panel discussion featuring Deanne Northrop, chief nursing officer of Baptist Health Shelby Hospital, and UM students Seth Acton and Miranda Sennett. The students had a chance to answer questions about their educational journey and how scholarships helped them achieve their academic goals.

“A scholarship is someone investing in the next generation and specifically investing in me,” said Acton, a member of the men’s soccer team studying management and Spanish. “When I see that name on the scholarship, it gives me a sense of connection to that person knowing that they’re investing in people.”

Sennett, a nursing major, expressed her appreciation to Dr. Crystal Bennett, dean of the College of Health Professions, for pushing her in the direction of the Shelby Baptist Foundation scholarship.

“I don’t know how I would have been able to stay in line at all without that kind of guidance,” she said. “I literally would not be here without that support.”

Northrop, representing the Baptist Health Foundation, shared her hope that students recognize and continue to carry on the spirit of giving in the future, not just financially but emotionally.

“Support takes many forms,” she said. “You know through your educational endeavors that it’s challenging. Just be that source of support and go out and be great humans.”

Lastly, guests had the opportunity to see giving in action as donors and alumni Joyce Greathouse and John Butera presented their recently established scholarship to student Victor Flores.

“We are happy that we’re in the position to be able to give a scholarship and we want to support Montevallo” said Greathouse, a Foundation Board member. “It was a wonderful experience that we had here, and we hope that the students who received the scholarships had as many good memories as we did.”