National Scholarship Month ends on Nov. 30, but the success of University of Delaware scholarship students is worth celebrating year-round. The impact of scholarships is often expressed in large numbers — in 2022-23, UD granted $75,022,065 in need-based awards — but these numbers become truly meaningful through the real-life success of individual Blue Hens. 

Arynn Hernandez, a recent graduate of the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics, was proud to share the impact a scholarship had on her academic journey.

“I had a really tough time freshman year,” she said. “I had to work a lot of hours at the library, and I had to put in some time at the Dunkin’ Donuts in Perkins. And going home after all of that, I would cook for my family, clean, help my siblings with their homework.”

Struggling to balance these responsibilities, Hernandez found support in the form of a scholarship. For her, this award was transformative.

“I got to spend more time on my schoolwork, and my grades went up,” she said. “Never in a million years did I think I could go straight to graduate school.” But with more time to focus, she was accepted into a 4+1 master’s program.

As Hernandez nears the successful end of her UD journey, she’s had a chance to reflect on what this support has made possible. 

“I have three siblings, and I want to make sure that they’re heading down a good path,” she said. “I’m very excited to be setting that example for them, because I owe it to them, so they know that this is possible.”

Hernandez recently had the chance to meet with UD alumnus Glenn Pfeil, whose generosity made this scholarship possible. Check out the video above where they tell this story in their own words.

At UD, student success happens every day. This November and all year long, join us in celebrating these Blue Hens stories.

To learn more about the impact of philanthropy on scholarships at UD, visit the Scholarships and Awards page. To hear more stories and make a gift today, visit the scholarships webpage.