Support the Students of Color Scholarship

Eastern Mennonite School aspires to “reflect Christ’s light as a learning community where every student belongs, thrives, and lives God’s call.” A newly revised endowed fund — the Beca para estudiantes de color — provides opportunity for donors to support the school’s growing diversity, and help remove barriers to an EMS education for more students of color.

“EMS is located in one of the most diverse cities in the state of Virginia,” notes Paul Leaman, head of school. “We hope the Students of Color Scholarship will help us increase the number of cultures and traditions in our school and thus more closely reflect the make up of our city. Recognizing that tuition can be a barrier for some families, we believe this scholarship will make an excellent education accessible to more families of diverse backgrounds.”

For the 2020-21 school year, this scholarship is limited to students entering grades 6-12. Applicants should be students who are excited about learning and ready to explore music, las artes, atletismo, and clubes at EMS.  Applicants will arrange to visit EMS to share more about their desire to join the school community as part of the admissions process.

Interested students entering grades 6-12 and families can learn more about the application process at aquí. 

Financiación del fondo de dotación

The EMS Students of Color Scholarship was established in 2020 as the school  sought more tangible ways to address racial inequities and barriers in the culture at large and at EMS in particular.

Gracias al capital inicial plantado hace casi 30 años, el fondo de dotación se estableció rápidamente. La dotación original se estableció a principios de la década de 1990 para que los estudiantes inmigrantes laosianos de una iglesia menonita local pudieran asistir al EMHS. La familia que aportó el capital inicial se alegró, cuando se le preguntó a finales de 2020, de ver ampliado el alcance para incluir ayudas a estudiantes de color de cualquier origen étnico.

A lo largo de los años, se ha recurrido a los ingresos de la dotación como parte del proceso habitual de ayuda financiera de la escuela; la escuela espera que su ampliación como beca atraiga más apoyo de los donantes y la haga más accesible a un grupo más amplio de solicitantes.

Una donación no solicitada de Chuck Hostetter '71, destinada a estudiantes de color en el verano de 2020, impulsó la revisión de la dotación original, las conversaciones con los fundadores y la renovación.

Hostetter was moved to send a gift to the school after running across a stack of letters in storage. The letters were sent to him by EMHS classmates while living with his family in Nigeria during his senior year. “That support from peers meant so much,” he wrote. “I see now how my life trajectory took shape, influenced by other cultures. I’m grateful to support this fund in appreciation for what those EMHS friends meant to me, and to support the insights and gift to humanity people of color bring to school communities.”

Others who would like to support the endowed fund to ensure the availability of a growing pool financial aid over the long term, can make a gift online here (designate Students of Color Fund), or contact Trisha Blosser, development officer, blossert@easternmennonite.org or 540-236-6024.