Sharing Gifts

Grantee: Minnesota Private College Fund Project Title: Phillips Scholars Program

When Jewelly Lee entered St. Catherine University,
she was living in two worlds. “Being a minority, it was hard for me to understand the two different cultures that I was living in at the same time,” she says, “living in the Hmong community as a member of my family, yet living in an American community too.”

Jewelly knew she wanted to help other Hmong kids who were struggling with the transition from high school to college. She learned about the Phillips Scholars Program, but had no confidence that she could put together a successful application. She held on to the paperwork for an entire semester, but with some encouragement from her college advisors, created a plan to mentor Hmong high school students.

“When I hit college, it was really hard. I took time to reflect on my own experience and think about the struggles I had in my high-school years,” says Jewelly. “I learned how important it is to plan ahead and not waste your time as a high-school student. Now I’m helping students use that space and time to discover and create themselves.”

Through the Phillips Scholars Program, students design their own projects based on their interests — they determine what they want to accomplish and identify which nonprofit organization could be a strong partner. The intent of these projects, and the preparation leading up to them, is to encourage lifelong community service and future nonprofit leadership. Current and past scholars talk about the transformative impact this program has made on their life and career decisions. The rigorous challenge of designing and implementing a program — taking an idea and bringing it to life — helped them gain confidence and exposure to diverse community needs.

Celebrating its 15th year, the Phillips Scholars Program was created to honor Jay and Rose Phillips’s deep belief in the value of community service. Six students with outstanding academic credentials are selected each year from Minnesota’s private college and university system; they receive tuition support for the last two years of college, plus a stipend to implement their project. Many of the 70+ students that have participated in the program continue to share their gifts by being involved with the community through their professional and volunteer commitments.

By investing in young leaders, engaging diverse communities and reducing college debts that keep some talented graduates from pursuing human service careers, the Phillips Scholars Program is helping to prepare the next generation of community leaders. Jewelly says, “This experience allowed me to discover who I am, what I’m passionate about and what I want to do with my future.”

The Minnesota Private College Fund is a partnership between Minnesota businesses and 17 private, four-year liberal arts colleges. The Fund serves member colleges by promoting collaborations, research and policy advocacy efforts and raising funds to support students and institutions. The Minnesota Private College Fund administers the Phillips Scholars Program as part of their mission of service to others working within the community.