Click the Give Now button above to help the National Alumni Association raise $3,000 for this year's passion project, the Alumni Scholarship Program!
The Alumni Scholarship Program initiative began in 1967, awarding 25 entering freshmen $500 a year, for four years. Through your generosity, the program has grown to awarding nearly 3,000 students annually. Contributing to the National Alumni Association during Bama Blitz will help provide scholarship assistance to not only incoming freshmen, but currently enrolled, transfer and graduate students as they strive to achieve their dream of graduating from The University of Alabama. With your support, the NAA will continue to assist students such as these:
Dianna Austin Major: Nursing
Hometown: Franklin, Tennessee
Nursing is a profession that requires more than just knowing how to conduct physicals, administer medicine or patch up a wound. Compassion is needed. So is tenderness and understanding. Daianna Austin has all that and more. It's the primary reason she wants to be a nurse, particularly with newborns. "I love babies and have been surrounded by babies all my life," said Austin, whose mom is also a nurse. A newborn is helpless and needs constant love and attention. That's where Austin comes in. She said it's those first moments of a child's life that are most important. "I realize, it starts there," Austin said. "You have to start (the baby's life) out strong." UA has given her a chance to spread her compassionate and empathetic qualities. Since arriving on campus, Austin has found a strong bond through community. "It's really affected my social life because I wasn't really that social," she said of UA's impact on her. "The main reason I came to UA was because of the nursing program because it's so good, but the social part is something additional."
Samantha WhiteMajor: Communication studies
Hometown: Georgiana, Alabama
Samantha White doesn't waste any time. She gets right down to business. When she arrived on campus in the fall, White took advantage of the amenities UA had to offer, including Lucy's Legacy, a living-learning community for first-year UA Black women that has a mentoring program and peer group. White jumped right in with Alabama's 1965 magazine as a writer and social media contributor. "Even as a freshman there are so many things I can get involved in," she said. White doesn't have a specific job in mind when she graduates, and plans to have as many internships as she can while at UA. She does know her future involves writing. "I want to tell stories," White said. "I want to make an impact on the Black community and bring awareness to it, and get Black students to be aware of what all UA has for them. I want to bring awareness for Black culture and how amazing African Americans are. Sometimes I see underrepresentation. Hopefully, one day, I can make a difference with that."
Kylie Holden
Major: Civil engineering
Hometown: Frisco, Texas
Kylie Holden got hooked on engineering as a kid. It helped that her dad is an electrical engineer and her mom recruits engineers for her corporate job. Growing up, Kylie took specific classes for electrical engineering and realized it might not be for her. Instead, she discovered other kinds of engineering, particularly civil. "I found a lot of joy in designing cities and playing games that had city design or housing design," Holden said. "That's where I discovered that I want to do something like this. I like the structural side of it. I want to make sure everything is safe and sound." Holden knows about building safety. Just like Tuscaloosa, Texas is no stranger to tornadoes. In her first civil engineering class at UA, she saw the photos of the devastation caused by the Tuscaloosa tornadoes of 2011. "In my engineering class, the professor was talking about how they have building designs in Alabama that are [capable of withstand tornadoes]," Holden said. "You have to think about basements and stuff like that. He talked a lot about how the environment around us comes into play in engineering."
Bryce HoltMajor: Political science and economics
Hometown: Gurley, Alabama
It's not unusual for a college student to arrive on campus unsure of which field they want to pursue. Bryce Holt isn't one of those students. He's had a plan mapped out since his freshman year of high school. He wants to help people. Holt wants to work in city government, particularly as a city planner. He's also got ambitions to graduate from law school and work as a federal prosecutor. "I've always had an interest in government," Holt said. "There are a lot of issues that face people in this country, and I'd like to be a part of it and help where I can, even if it's city planning and building a new park or in criminal justice and fighting for the rights of people. Any way I can help my community and my country in some way is what I'm aiming to do." Holt's plan took off once he got to Alabama. He got involved with the Student Government Association and was inspired. "I didn't find an in to the community until I joined SGA," he said. "I then got to reach out to people about issues that they see and how we can help. I was able to work with people on SGA to solve issues and to help with legislation."
Cameron MorganMajor: Computer science
Hometown: Butler, Alabama
When Cameron Morgan got to The University of Alabama, he found a community that cared about him and his goals. He was made aware of the vast resources on campus for students, and he quickly made use of them. Morgan had no trouble adapting to college life and navigating his way through the curriculum and organizations. "I came here with Bama Bound and got integrated to campus quickly," Morgan said. "It made me realize people are invested in you, care about you and want to see you succeed no matter what you do." He wants to help others, too. There are some kids who feel helpless or out of place, and Morgan wants them to realize they are not alone. "I want to reach out to the youth community and help kids and teach them it's OK to be different and their feelings matter," Morgan said. He also wants to give back to his community through education. Morgan's interest lies in artificial intelligence, and he wants to teach kids about the future of computer science. "I want to teach kids at a young age," he said. "Some kids are interested in it but don't have the resources or prior knowledge. I want to get them integrated early."
