Morgan Riebel '07
Morgan Riebel '07, a junior from Hanover, Pa. studying psychology, wrote a letter earlier this year that would change her perception of Juniata College forever. At the start of the year, Morgan received a scholarship that added just enough extra financial help to allow her to stay at Juniata. She wrote a simple thank-you letter to the donor.
"I told her that this scholarship was really needed because it looked like I wasn't going to return to Juniata," explains Morgan, who also receives financial aid from the College's famed left-handed scholarship.
The scholarship (and winning a tuition break after being named a resident assistant) meant that Juniata again became affordable for Morgan and her family. She had become the first recipient of the Jodie Monger Gray '88 Scholarship, established in 2004 by Jodie Monger Gray to benefit psychology students.
"When I was a senior at Juniata my sister started her first year of college and the family budget was very tight," Jodie recalls. "We got a call at home that I had been awarded the Outstanding Woman Scholarship for $800 and it seemed like a miracle at the time. I decided probably right then that if I had the chance to create a scholarship I would do the same thing."
Let's let them finish the story.
Morgan: "I didn't expect to hear from her and she actually e-mailed me and thanked me for the letter."
Jodie: "I told Morgan I was going to be on campus for the Alumni Career Day and that I would love to meet her."
Morgan: "That weekend my mother was on campus, so we decided to see Jodie."
Jodie: "She came in with her mom and her mother came up to me and told me 'I want you to know that some day we will pay it forward.' I was so touched. One of the things people should never lose sight of is how one event or gift can have such a large impact on another person."
As college costs rise, financial aid issues command the attention of a typical college student, Morgan says. Many students may not realize that private liberal arts colleges can be just as affordable as public institutions. As finances get tighter, many Juniatians find that financial aid comes up more and more in casual conversation.
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