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UC Davis Magazine

Volume 29 · Number 1 · Fall 2011

Alumni: A great way to give back

CAAA volunteers give their time and expertise to award leadership-based scholarships to outstanding Aggies.

Photo: Russ Wilder, sitting outside on a bench

Russ Wilder '76, left, chairs CAAA's San Mateo Regional Scholarship Committee and is also a donor to the scholarship program.

Russ Wilder '76 has spent more than 20 years volunteering with the Cal Aggie Alumni Association scholarship program—reading and reviewing applications and interviewing students from San Mateo County.

"We want the best and brightest to go to our alma mater," said Wilder, who chairs CAAA's San Mateo Regional Scholarship Committee and is also a donor to the scholarship program.

For Wilder and other volunteers like him, staying involved is important because scholarships are essential for so many students. And with the continuing budget crisis and rising tuition costs, the need for scholarships is growing every year.

The Cal Aggie Alumni Association has been awarding scholarships to UC Davis students since 1934. CAAA recently awarded scholarships to 37 students, selected from 28 regions across California, Oregon and Washington.

More than 60 alumni volunteers representing each of the regions review the scholarship essays, interview candidates and select the finalists. Scholarships are awarded for merit and leadership activities, and not on financial need alone. Students selected as the top candidate from their region may also be eligible for the $10,000 Blue and Gold Leadership Scholarship. "In 2010, a student from our area was selected as the recipient of the Blue and Gold scholarship," Wilder said. "We were extremely excited and proud."

Wilder and other volunteers share a common passion for UC Davis, the CAAA scholarship program and helping students succeed.

portrait photos

Molly Mrowka '93, left, is chair of the San Francisco committee; Stephanie Bradley '11 is this year's recipient of the Carl. L. Garrison Award.

"I really enjoyed my time at UC Davis," said Molly Mrowka '93, chair of the San Francisco Regional Scholarship Committee. "Being a part of the regional scholarship committee is a great way to give back and share my experiences with incoming students."

A life member of CAAA, Molly said she joined out of gratitude for her undergraduate experience. "Staying involved is important to the continued success of the university and our students and alumni," she explained.

Two of the CAAA scholarships are given each year to UC Davis students who demonstrate leadership on campus or in the community; the Howard B. Shontz Award goes to a sophomore and the Carl L. Garrison Award to a senior. The awards are named for two distinguished alumni with many ties to the university and CAAA. Shontz '41 worked in student services at UC Davis, UC Berkeley, UC Santa Cruz and the systemwide office in Oakland; Garrison, a cattle rancher who attended UC Davis in the early 1930s, served as president of CAAA, president of the California Beef Council and chair of the Grand National Junior Livestock Exposition.

This year's Garrison Award recipient is Stephanie Bradley '11. After transferring from Marquette University in Wisconsin, she quickly got involved on campus, joined the Student Alumni Association (SAA) and in her senior year was elected president of SAA. As a recent graduate, Bradley is considering applying to graduate school and is looking forward to taking part in CAAA events and meeting other alumni.

"No matter where you are or what you are doing in your life, there is a way to get involved with UC Davis and the Cal Aggie Alumni Association," Bradley said. She plans to attend local chapter events, SAA mentoring events and, down the road, she'd like to give back to the scholarship program in any way she can.

The Regional Scholarship Program is always in need of more volunteers to help read applications and interview students. "Our greatest need right now is in Central California and Los Angeles," said Jennifer Thayer '02, assistant director of programs for CAAA. "We need about 30 volunteers [in those regions] who can commit to 10 hours a year, but we are also looking for volunteers all over California, Oregon and Washington."

Russ Wilder plans to continue volunteering with the scholarship program, even after he and his wife, Deborah (Gregory) Wilder '76, retire to Grass Valley some years from now. "It's really neat doing the interviews with the students and getting to put a face with the name on the application," he said. "In some ways it's like interviewing yourself. You see pieces of your younger self in the students sitting in front of you."

For more information about the Cal Aggie Alumni Association Scholarship Program or to get involved, contact Jennifer Thayer '02 at jsthayer@ucdavis.edu or 530-754-9098.

To make a gift to the CAAA scholarship fund, visit giving.ucdavis.edu.

Brooke Converse is CAAA's communications officer.