Driving Students Ahead: Golf Fundraiser Hits New Milestone

Out on the green of the Westfields Golf Club in Clifton, Virginia, 97 friends, faculty, and alumni of George Mason University teed off for the 23^rd Annual Diversity Scholarship Golf Classic on June 11.

The event raised money for the Student Transition Empowerment Program (STEP) and the Early Identification Program (EIP),which marks its 30th anniversary this year. These efforts exemplify Mason’s commitment to support students from a wide array of backgrounds.

About 35 percent of Mason graduates in spring 2017 were the first in their families to earn a degree from a four-year university, a number that continues to grow as support for the programs increases.

This year’s tournament raised approximately $40,000, bringing the event’s lifetime total to more than half a million dollars. Those donations help students such as STEP scholar Aaron Escobar, a junior at Mason studying physics and music.

“My parents expected me to get an education,” said Escobar, whose parents came to the U.S. from El Salvador about 30 years ago. “But when the time came to go to college, I was behind a lot of my peers. They had resources that I didn’t have. Then I found STEP. Through STEP I’ve learned so many lessons, like how to manage my time, and especially how to accept my own identity, who you are as a person.”

Now, Escobar hopes to pursue a career in teaching.

Vice President of University Life Rose Pascarell expressed her gratitude for the people behind this volunteer-led event, one that exists thanks to the ongoing support of its volunteers and long-running sponsors like Sandy Spring Bank, the title sponsor for the past nine years.

The winning golf team included Jay O’Brien, Fred Billig, Chris Board and Tom Ewers.

June 25, 2018 / Christopher Bobo

Tags: Diversity Scholarship Golf Classic, EIP, Rose Pascarell, Sandy Spring Belt, STEP