Calumet College of St. Joseph is a school rooted in tradition, and few things are more important to them than their Annual Scholarship Gala. This distinguished event has been running for 53 years and aims to raise funds to help students complete their education. The event was held on Saturday at The Center for Visual and Performing Arts in Munster and raised $75,000 for CCSJ students.
Attendees to the event enjoyed live music by Phase4, a full course meal, and more. CCSJ’s roots run deep into the Region, and many community leaders, business people, and alumni make annual appearances at the event in support of the schools efforts to further education for young men and women from Northwest Indiana and beyond.
“We serve an at-risk population and it’s part of our mission to serve the under-privileged,” said Larry Meyers, Chair of the Board of Trustees at CCSJ. “Back when this school was started that was its sole mission, to provide education to those families who couldn’t afford to go away to school.”
This year’s event was also the inaugural gala for recently instated CCSJ President Dr. Amy McCormack. She led proceedings throughout the evening and spoke with excitement about the things she has already seen in just one year at the school.
“It is heartwarming and amazing to think of the people that I have met in the past year,” said McCormack. “I’m looking forward to seeing some new faces in the crowd, and thanking those that I’ve met in the past 10 months for joining in this celebration of a great college.”
The school also presented three awards throughout the evening, recognizing leadership, hard work, and community commitment. Frank Schilling, president of Schillings, received the St. Joseph the Worker Award, which recognizes distinction in professions, devotion to community, family, or country, and the embodiment of St. Joseph’s ideals. Augusto Flores, Jr. accepted to Brother Gerard Von Hagel Alumni Award, for his exemplification of CCSJ’s values. Lastly, Burke Costanza & Carberry LLP received the Corporate Leadership Award.
Each of the winners were introduced by one of CCSJ’s numerous scholarship students. Each of them shared a story about how the school and its staff helped make a difference in their lives and long-term goals.
“It’s a really great school, it’s small but that means you get better teaching and education,” said Melanie Pabon, a senior studying criminal justice. “It’s really great how much of an effort they put into scholarship efforts. It means everyone at the school has an opportunity to get their education; in my case, it was a sports scholarship. I got lucky and could pursue my love for softball while continuing my education.”
For more than 280 attendees, the evening was a resounding success not just in helping the school, but in leaving a lasting impact on the lives and aspirations of young scholars.
To learn more about the Calumet College of St. Joseph, visit www.ccsj.edu.
