UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State will soon celebrate its 11th GivingTuesday, and the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences (EMS) will be raising money to support the Millennium Scholars Program. The annual event is slated to begin at 6:55 p.m. on Monday, Dec. 1, and last through 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Dec. 2, although early giving has already begun.
The Millennium Scholars Program (MSP) began in 2013 at Penn State — EMS joined in 2016 — to expand opportunities for academically talented students from underserved communities while opening doors for these students to become leaders in their chosen field. EMS has produced 21 graduates through the program, and 16 more students are currently enrolled. For more on the program, visit the Millennium Scholars homepage.
This year, for GivingTuesday, the college is aiming to raise funding for five additional Millennium Scholars, largely through matching gifts. Anthony Hutchinson, senior vice president of industry and government relations at VantageScore, and his wife, Rhona Hutchinson, are matching $5,000 in gifts from other supporters. An anonymous donor is also matching $10,000, bringing the total 1:1 match to $15,000. To contribute during early giving, select "EMS Millennium Scholars" for your designation.
Through GivingTuesday events over the years, EMS has raised more than $163,000 towards the MSP program.
The program is already producing results: More than half of the graduates of the program have gone on to graduate programs at elite universities or to roles in national labs or industry. Ana Isabel de la Fuente Duran, who graduated from EMS in 2020 with a degree in materials science and engineering, just earned her doctorate in materials science and engineering from Stanford University.
She researches novel ways for energy storage to help make sustainable energy that’s more accessible and affordable for everyone.
“I went from not knowing exactly what a Ph.D. was to realizing it’s something I could achieve,” she said. “The Millennium Scholars Program showed me the way and set me up on a path for my success.”
To learn more, visit Penn State’s GivingTuesday website.
Gifts during GivingTuesday advance the University’s historic land-grant mission to serve and lead. Through philanthropy, alumni and friends are helping students to join the Penn State family and prepare for lifelong success; driving research, outreach and economic development that grow our shared strength and readiness for the future; and increasing the University’s impact for families, patients and communities across the commonwealth and around the world. Learn more by visiting raise.psu.edu.