The President's Scholarship Ball has a rich legacy and tradition of excellence. For
more than 30 years, this annual event has brought together supporters to provide full-tuition
scholarships for high-performing students who are awarded the Presidential Scholarship.
To view photos from the 2020 President's Drive-In Scholarship Ball, click HERE and use the gallery password: UVUDriveIn2020!
To view the 2020 President's Drive-In Scholarship Ball, click HERE
Presidential Scholarship Highlight – Akaydeh Livingston
Utah Valley University (UVU) freshman Akaydeh Livingston ’24 is one of nearly 2,000
UVU Presidential Scholars. Livingston traces her roots to the Navajo Nation and is
the youngest of nine siblings. She was drawn to UVU for the opportunity it would give her to pursue a degree in architecture. She plans to leverage her degree
to help the Navajo reservation where her grandmother lives.
Livingston’s peers in high school rigorously studied to maintain good grades in the
pursuit of a college scholarship. She recognized that it may be the only option for
those who financially struggle. The only other alternative would be taking out a student
loan – which she notes can place students in “debt for years.” The overwhelming stress
of loans can drive students to leave their degrees unfinished.
“When we receive scholarships like this, it helps us know someone believes in us,”
said Livingston. The Presidential Scholarship is awarded to prospective UVU students
who achieve at least a 3.9 grade point average and an ACT score of 30 or greater.
The grant awards its recipients with a four-year, full-tuition scholarship.
The Presidential Scholarship empowered Livingston to help those around her. She looks
to help those who doubt they belong in higher education find their purpose. By using
the opportunity the scholarship provides her, Livingston strives to make the lives
of her peers better and let them know she’s looking out for them.
“Even though they weren’t able to have the same opportunities I had, I am committed
to making all lives better,” said Livingston.
Determination, support, and opportunities are all words Livingston used to describe the impact of the UVU Presidential Scholarship.
Presidential Scholarship Highlight – Truman Brown
The Utah Valley University (UVU) Presidential Scholarship allows Truman Brown ’24,
a point guard for the UVU men’s basketball team, an opportunity to pursue both of
his passions – education and athletics. Brown is a pre-medical major with a notable
basketball record. As an all-state player, he led Layton High School to the state
championship game.
Brown was attracted to UVU’s nationally ranked academic programs. He earned college
credits in high school that easily transferred to UVU. This helped ease the transition
from high school to college and provided him with an opportunity to jumpstart his
academic career.
When Brown entered his first semester of school, he didn’t anticipate the financial
cost. The price alone for one semester was daunting.
“The financial burden that has lifted from me has been eye-opening. I will not forget
the way the [UVU] Presidential Scholarship transformed my life,” said Brown.
Brown is “humbled” to have the financial stress taken off him. He recognizes that
finding a means to pay for school is a financial hardship for many students. He is
grateful for the opportunity to not have to go in debt for school and focus on his
future career.
Brown hopes to pay it forward with the “blessings” he has received in his life. This
mentality influenced him to enter the medical field. He wants to be able to help people
in his own way just as the UVU Presidential Scholarship helped him. 
Again, thank you for supporting our Presidential Scholars. If you missed your chance
to get your Commemorative Bench on the evening of the event and would like to learn
more please follow this link:
Presidential Scholar Commemorative Bench
This innovative new program was created to help support Utah Valley University's most
promising students, our Presidential Scholars. Presidential Scholars are selected
based on academic excellence and the scholarship is renewable for up to eight semesters.

Your donation for space on a bench can honor the accomplishments of individuals or
organizations or can be designated in memoriam of a loved one, colleague, friend,
etc. Your gift to the Presidential Commemorative Bench project will FOREVER improve
the campus landscape and help support the life of a UVU Presidential Scholar.
Thank you to our 2020 Sponsors
|
TITLE & MATCHING GIFT SPONSOR
|
|
|
|
PRESIDENT'S DANCE SPONSOR
|
|
|
|
ROGER & GWEN CONNERS
PAUL & JEANETTE CLYDE
RYAN & JENNIFER NAPIERSKI
IN MEMORY OF BILL J. ANDERSON
|
|
|
|