Students give $100,000 to Garnet and Gold Scholar Society

Florida State President Eric J. Barron, left, and Student Foundation Chairman David Ward hold a ceremonial $100,000 check that will go to the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society.

The Florida State University Student Foundation made a $100,000 donation in support of the university's Garnet and Gold Scholar Society during Parents Weekend on Oct. 28. President Eric J. Barron received a ceremonial check from Student Foundation Chairman David Ward in Moore Auditorium on the Florida State campus.

"This (contribution) is an excellent example of the outstanding students we have at Florida State University," Barron said. "They really care about giving back to their university to make it the best it can be."

The money primarily will be used to help fund the operation of the Garnet and Gold Scholar Society, which was established in 2010 to recognize students who have excelled in at least three out of five areas: leadership, internship, service, international experience and research. The donation also will provide for society scholarships to deserving students and continue the mission of Protect Our Professors, a student-led effort to financially support Florida State faculty members, especially in the area of travel grants.

"Presenting the check to Dr. Barron on Parents Weekend was something that we felt very strongly about," said Ward, a senior majoring in creative writing. "It was an opportunity to show Florida State as a unified institution where staff and students alike work to improve our university, even in the tumultuous economic times we're experiencing."

The Student Foundation raised a large portion of the money from both undergraduate and graduate students, who can choose to contribute $10 each to the organization as they register for classes. The rest of the money came from a private donor.

2 November 2011