An alumna of the Department of Statistics made a donation to support Ewha students who plan to study abroad. The alumna, who requested anonymity, began donating as she recalled the help that she received in times of hardship and wished to share the joy she felt in that touching moment with many more Ewha students. Her contributions led to the establishment of the Andrey Kolmogorov Scholarship, which was named after the world-renowned mathematician of the same name, who is admired by statisticians around the world. The scholarship is granted to one recipient among undergraduate and graduate students of the Department of Statistics who are applying for a doctoral program in a statistics program in the U.S.
A relay race of sharing, the joy of sharing shared by sharing
The anonymous donor explained that she experienced the significance of donation firsthand during her time studying abroad, when she looked into several scholarships and received support through them herself. “I was deeply grateful to those who supported me through scholarships and felt secure in the fact that someone was rooting for and looking forward to my academic and professional journey. It was through this experience that I began to feel a sense of duty to share this joy with younger generations of students,” she said.
She also remarked, “One of the difficulties that I experienced while studying abroad was to constantly worry over whether I had enough funds to live on in each semester.” In summer vacations, the donor had to subsist on savings that she had put together from working as a teaching assistant during the spring and fall semester, and study despite the sense of anxiety that an emergency could take away a significant part of her savings at any time. She also shared her feelings upon receiving a scholarship. “I tried hard to find scholarships or teaching assistant positions at other departments. When I was eventually selected for a scholarship and began to receive financial support, I felt deeply grateful and started thinking about all the things that I could spend the money on and how long the money could last me. Especially since I was in a financially insecure position at the time, the scholarship came with a sense of relief that I would finally be able to survive.”
An anonymous alumna is rooting for you. Follow your dreams.
The donor used to wonder if she was wealthy or qualified enough to make donations herself. But upon reading about donations from younger alumnae in the “2019-2020 annual report,” by the Office of University Relations and Development that outlines Ewha’s fundraising situation and usage of donations, she decided to act on her wishes.
She said, “I saw the donation participation rate of alumnae in their 20s and 30s is higher than those in their 40s and 50s. I realized that many Ewha alumnae take part in donating without worrying about the amount or whether they’re qualified, which encouraged me to start donating without putting it off any longer.” She also explained what drove her to donate now. “Everyone is struggling due to COVID-19 and I particularly felt that students who were planning to study abroad might be thinking about giving up their dreams due to the thought that it would cost too much.”
She said that she wanted Ewha students to know that there are people who are watching over them and rooting for their dreams to come true. In addition to sponsoring the scholarship, she said, “I want Ewha students to achieve their goals, knowing that their alumnae are there to support them.” What she offered to younger Ewha students who are struggling in the face of an uncertain future is not only financial support, but also a helping hand to reassure them and a warm gaze to watch over them as they pioneer their way through various challenges.