Undergraduate Donates $80,000 to Colorado State University for Scholarships

Colorado State University announced a largest-ever donation commitment from a current undergraduate student. Sami Bedell, who will graduate from Colorado State’s College of Liberal Arts this week, has pledged a total of $80,000 to fund scholarships within the college.

Bedell, who enrolled at Colorado State as a freshman from Iowa, made the donation on behalf of the Bedell World Citizenship Fund, established by her father, Tom Bedell, two years ago. Bedell’s donation will provide $60,000 for BWCF Liberal Arts scholarships and an additional $20,000 to the College of Liberal Arts’ Center for Applied Studies in American Ethnicity, or CASAE.

"Colorado State University and the College of Liberal Arts are extremely grateful for the generosity shown by Sami and the Bedell World Citizenship Fund," said Ann Gill, dean of the College of Liberal Arts. "Scholarships play a crucial role in creating accessibility to a quality education. Sami’s gift to the college will ensure access for deserving students."

Finding a way to best benefit the College of Liberal Arts and its students was paramount in deciding how to allocate the funds, Bedell said.

"I saw a void in the number of scholarships available to liberal arts students," she said. "Funding is essential to providing a wide variety of classes to students. Providing scholarships to future students is one of the best ways to make sure I can continue to make a difference in the lives of others for years to come."

Bedell said she had always wanted to attend college in Colorado and was drawn to Colorado State for its music therapy program.

"My father wanted me to go to school in Boulder, where he had taken some classes," Bedell said. "But Colorado State had the program that most interested me. The setting here also helped me make the decision. I love Fort Collins, and I plan to stay here after I graduate."

Though she decided the music therapy field was not for her, she continued at Colorado State where she found upper-level classes to be intellectually engaging. Bedell said she would like to begin a career working in development for non-profit organizations.

The first scholarship will be awarded in the fall of 2007.

The College of Liberal Arts is the largest college at Colorado State. It is home to 12 academic departments and one center. More than 5,500 graduate and undergraduate students are currently enrolled in the college.

CASAE is dedicated to meeting the educational and research needs of students and faculty interested in issues such as inclusive histories, identity formation, cultural practices and beliefs, and historical representations of racial and ethnic groups. The program is designed to provide an instructional and resource base for future professionals working in fields where an understanding of ethnicity will enhance their professional effectiveness.

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