A recent Walters State alumna returned to the college to make a generous gift; a gift funded by a prestigious grant received earlier this year.
Rita Castañon donated $1,000 to the RHiTA Hispanic Scholarship Endowment of the Walters State Foundation. The funds came from a $5,000 grant Castanon received from the Marguerite Casey Foundation earlier this year. Based in Seattle, the Foundation supports low-income families advocating on their own behalf for change.
“While a student here, Rita impressed everyone she encountered. Her passion for equality and fairness is inspiring. We at Walters State were very proud to learn of the Casey Foundation Grant. When Rita came to us to donate part of the grant, we were truly touched,” said Dr. Tony Miksa, president of Walters State.
“With this gift, Rita is reaching forward to assist students coming after her. What a generous legacy she leaves marking her time at Walters State.”
Castañon is now a student at Carson-Newman University.
The RHiTA Hispanic Grant Endowment was established by RHiTA (Reaching Hispanics to Achieve), an organization based at Walters State. RHiTA encourages Hispanic students to develop leadership skills and mentor younger students. The program was named in honor of Castañon.
For more information about RHiTA, contact Michelle Mitrik, associate professor of Spanish, at Michelle.Mitrik@ws.edu or Dr. Timothy Holder, assistant dean of behavioral and social sciences, at Timothy.Holder@ws.edu.
For more information about the RHiTA Hispanic Scholarship Endowment, contact Chris Cates, assistant vice president of college advancement, at Chris.Cates@ws.edu.