Western Union and the Western Union Foundation envision a world where everyone has equitable and abundant access to economic opportunity and the potential to thrive.
In that spirit, the Western Union Foundation made a gift of $150,000 to Metropolitan State University of Denver, funding the Western Union Immigrant Student Annual Scholarship and supporting the University’s Immigrant Services Program and food pantry, Rowdy’s Corner, ensuring international students have access to the resources they need to remain in school and graduate.
Lauren Bell, executive director of the Western Union Foundation, says education has always been at the core of the foundation’s mission.
“The Western Union Foundation has focused on fueling economic opportunity for youth and individuals who migrate,” she said. “The scholarship program focuses on scholars who have crossed borders and boundaries in pursuit of higher education.”
“When I came to the United States, I was looking for how to pay for college or even participate in college. Knowing that there is an organization like Western Union Foundation out there trying to help immigrant students is both comforting and hopeful. Higher education is not a dream anymore, it’s a goal.”
– Mohammad Ahmadi, Cybersecurity major, Western Union Scholar
International students juggle responsibilities familiar to all college students – working multiple jobs, attending classes, and doing homework. However, they have the added challenge of living abroad, separate from their families and without a local support system.
The Western Union Immigrant Student Annual Scholarship – in conjunction with a Colorado Opportunities Scholarship Initiative match – provides much-needed financial support and assistance with academics, career readiness, financial aid and more.
This generous funding allows 28 MSU Denver asylee and refugee students to cover the costs of tuition and fees confidently. But it is about more than money – students have a team of dedicated scholarship coaches who provide holistic support as students navigate the complex world of higher education.
“Navigating a new country and system can be very challenging,” said Scott Bergman, scholarship support and retention coordinator for the MSU Denver Classroom to Career Hub. “Having a go-to person on campus and a cohort of other scholars to connect with can be instrumental to a student’s success at MSU Denver.”
The foundation’s desire to help aspiring individuals achieve a better quality of life and live up to their full potential perfectly matches the MSU Denver mindset, where education meets opportunity by focusing on programs that meaningfully change people’s lives through workforce readiness, job creation and equitable access to employment.
Together, Western Union Foundation and MSU Denver will pioneer pathways with this unique scholarship and student support program, which will act as a catalyst for economic opportunity by allowing first-generation immigrants to pursue a college degree and career, building a bright future for themselves and their families.
“These are some of the most passionate, driven individuals I’ve encountered,” said Bell. “Our funding, our programming, is just helping to provide that next step on the ladder for them.”