More than 200 people braved the cold weather Feb. 6 to attend Samford Legacy League’s Scholarship Luncheon at Vestavia Country Club.
The luncheon, which featured author, speaker and songwriter Jennifer Rothschild, was the third of four events sponsored this school year to raise funds for a new need-based scholarship at Samford University.
President Karen Bergquist welcomed guests and told them how thankful she was to be at the luncheon since it was originally set for Jan. 30, a day when many were still snowed in by a winter storm.
After lunch, Paula Gossett, vice president for student scholarship and support, introduced Samford President Andy Westmoreland, who shared his own scholarship story.
Westmoreland is a first generation college graduate who comes from a family of farmers. When he first enrolled at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkansas, he didn’t even know what a college credit hour was, he said.
From there, he rose to become president of Ouachita before coming to Birmingham in 2006 to serve as president of Samford University.
Because of their history and strong belief in helping students through scholarships, Westmoreland and his wife Jeanna are establishing an endowed scholarship in every school at Samford.
Jeanna Westmoreland, executive director of the Legacy League, explained the league’s goal of endowing a new scholarship each year. This year’s fund will become the league’s 22nd named scholarship.
Thus far, the total endowment for all Legacy League scholarships is more than $1.5 million. This has enabled the Legacy League to award more than $500,000 in life-changing scholarships to Samford University, helping provide college educations to more than 75 students who could otherwise not afford them.
Scholarship Luncheon Chairman Suzanne Hopkins reminded guests of the Legacy League’s focus this year, “Where there is no vision, the people perish” from Proverbs 29:18. Hopkins then introduced Rothschild.
Rothschild spoke on “Losing Sight and Gaining a Vision,” sharing her own story of physical blindness. As a young teen in the late 1970s, Jennifer was interested in art and was working on an art project when she first realized something was wrong with her eyesight.
She was diagnosed with retinitis pigmentosa as a ninth-grader and declared legally blind. By age 15, she had no depth perception, could not distinguish colors and was given a prognosis of total blindness.
After graduating high school in Miami, Rothschild said, she yearned for independence and made plans to attend Palm Beach Atlantic University. Suddenly struck with fear the day before she was to travel to college, she made a deal with her mother to stay two weeks and see how things went.
During those two weeks, she met Phil, the man who has now been her husband for 27 years.
She graduated in 1986 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in communication.
Those attending the luncheon included Legacy League members, their guests and several groups interested in Rothschild’s story. Members of the Prince of Peace Women of Worship said they attended because the group is currently using one of Rothschild’s Bible studies. A number of guests said they were seeking Rothschild’s encouragement due to their own or a family member’s vision loss.
The sponsors of this year’s luncheon were Kimeran Stevens, Penny Kimrey, Beth Thorne Stukes, Ashley Mac’s, Edwards Chevrolet, Jewels By Rose, Inc., Kilgore-Green Funeral Home, Beth Simpson and Patty Thorne.
The luncheon planning committee was chaired by Suzanne Hopkins and included Cathy Abbott, Lou Ann Booth, Sara Cook and Diane Myers.
Decorations were handled by Lisbeth Cease, Chizuru Elliott, Mary Anne Glazner, Sue Martin and Cathy Warren, who had special thanks for Lindsay Kessler for her generosity and assistance with the flowers.
Helping publicize the event were Kathryn Woodruff, Julie Cundiff, Susan Desforges, Chizuru Elliott, Mary Anne Glazner, Alisa Hyde, Jane Lewis, Leigh Simmons, Patty Thorne and Cathy Warren.
Membership in Legacy League is open to anyone interested in making a difference in the lives of students through need-based scholarships.
The group’s next meeting, which is open to the public, is March 13 at the Samford President’s home and will feature special guests Kimberly and Brock Beiersdoerfer, owners of the Heavenly Donut Company. Refreshments are served at 10 a.m., and the program begins at 10:30 a.m.
For more information, visit www.samford.edu/legacyleague.
