Students and Donors Celebrate the Power of Scholarships

Scholarship recipients met, thanked and celebrated with the donors who’ve changed their lives at this year’s MCV Campus Endowed Scholarship Brunch on Feb. 22. 

Now in its 21st year, the annual event brings together VCU Health Sciences students, faculty and donors for a time of reflection and fellowship, highlighting the generosity of those who fund scholarships and the dedication of those who are using them for their education. 

Photos: Daniel Sangjib Min

“I continue to be inspired by our students and am filled with gratitude to our donors whose commitment opens doors for the next generation of health care leaders,” said Brian Thomas, interim president and CEO of the MCV Foundation. “The Scholarship Brunch is a reminder that when philanthropy and purpose come together, lives are transformed.” 

Since March 2025, donors have created 12 new endowed scholarships, raising the total to 584 endowed scholarships supporting VCU Health Sciences students on the MCV Campus. About $10.45 million in endowed and current-use scholarship support was available in the 2025-26 academic year. 

Guest speakers this year included Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU and chair of VCU Health System Authority, and Barbara Brown, Ph.D., who created an endowed scholarship in honor of her fellow 1970 School of Nursing classmate and lifelong friend, Barbara Dunn, Ph.D. 

Katherine Walker, recipient of the Dr. Barbara H. Dunn Nursing Scholarship, with Barbara Brown, Ph.D., and Barbara Dunn, Ph.D.

A retired nurse practitioner, Dr. Brown served for 25 years as the vice president for data and research at the Virginia Hospital and Healthcare Association, where she played a pivotal role in advancing health care data and policy across the Commonwealth. 

“From my perspective, Dr. Dunn is the nurse everyone needs, the volunteer every organization wants and the friend we can all hope to have. She was an obvious choice for name a scholarship in her honor, so I did,” Dr. Brown told the audience, which included Dr. Dunn, who served on the MCV Foundation Board of Trustees for six years and is now a lifetime honorary trustee.  

Brian Thomas, interim president and CEO of the MCV Foundation with guest speakers Alexis Archer and Barbara Dunn, Ph.D.

Alexis Archer, a Pharm.D. student at the VCU School of Pharmacy, shared her journey on the MCV Campus and how receiving a scholarship has made an impact on her life.

“Instead of worrying about whether I needed to take on extra hours at work during a critical exam week, I’ve been able to immerse myself in my studies,” Archer said. “Every scholarship is more than a check. It is a vote of confidence. It is someone saying, ‘We believe in you. We believe in your potential. We are investing in your future.’ And that investment extends far beyond me.”

The annual Endowed Scholarship Brunch allows for a heartfelt afternoon of connection between scholarship recipients and the scholarship donors. 
In attendance were Michael Rao, Ph.D., president of VCU and chair of VCU Health System Authority and Arturo Saavedra, M.D., Ph.D., interim provost and executive vice president for academic affairs at VCU and MCV Foundation Board of Trustees member.

View the full album on Facebook.

If you are interested in supporting an existing student scholarship or creating a new one, please contact Brian Thomas, the foundation’s interim president and chief executive officer. 

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