Caldwell Scholarship Aids International Students
Open gallery
In 2001, the Greg Caldwell Scholarship for International Students began with a gift from a parent of a Japanese student. It was strengthened in 2008 by a contribution from the Lewis & Clark Alumni Association in Korea.
Gifts from friends around the world have since grown the fund to more than $500,000. And recently, Greg himself designated the endowed scholarship as the beneficiary of a planned gift of $1 million. This will guarantee, he says, “that international students will continue to benefit from it for years to come.”
First awarded in the fall of 2012, the scholarship provides tuition support to an international student in the College of Arts and Sciences who has a solid academic record and who demonstrates financial need and leadership ability.
All the recipients, says Caldwell, “have been extremely bright, hard-working, outgoing, and successful. They arrive unsure of themselves and trying to adjust to a new culture, a new language, and trying to ‘find their fit.’ Each year, they become more sure of themselves, more immersed in their studies, and more independent. By their junior or senior year, they have grown into remarkable young adults, ready to take on the world. It is incredible to see that development, and it makes me so proud to play a small part in it.”
Greg found his own fit through two transformative experiences: serving in the Peace Corps in Korea, and coming to work at Lewis & Clark in 1976. “The college valued international education, had a strong and growing population of international students, and had a well-known study abroad program. Best of all, the international students and Third Culture Kids (TCKs) were fantastic. To this day, I continue to maintain connections with many of them, attend their weddings, visit their newborns, share stories—an absolute gift for me.”
For more than 35 years, Caldwell provided generations of international students and TCKs with whatever support they needed to succeed, whether helping them find an internship, encouraging them to take a leadership position, or even lending them a tie for an interview.
Reflecting on his career and impact, Caldwell says, “The fact that so many of my former students and their families have given to the scholarship, and given so much, is a great honor for me.”
“I believe that the very best education that one can receive is at a residential liberal arts college about the size of Lewis & Clark. I believe, too, that international education and experiences are vitally important in today’s ever-shrinking world. I want to make sure that this type of education and these experiences are not lost. I know that the international students, TCKs, and other alums who know me feel the same way. That is why it is important to give to Lewis & Clark.”
To support this scholarship, visit go.lclark.edu/college/give/caldwell.
Major Gifts and Grants
Major gifts, grants, and pledges recorded or announced since the fall 2019 Chronicle.
- Gifts totaling $2.5 million to the Davis United World College Scholars program.
- A planned gift of $1.3 million from a trustee.
- A planned gift of $1 million from Life Trustee John Rogers for a scholarship fund in the Graduate School of Education and Counseling.
- A planned gift of $950,000 in unrestricted funds from Donna Dermond MAT ’89 and Kurt Wehbring MA ’92 to the Graduate School of Education and Counseling.
- A grant of $750,000 from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation to support Lewis & Clark developing community partnerships that address social suffering.
- A gift of $100,000 from Bob’s Red Mill to the John E. and Susan S. Bates Center for Entrepreneurship and Leadership.
- A gift of $50,000 from a trustee to seed our COVID-19 Emergency Response Fund.
- A gift of $50,000 from John Krussel, professor of mathematics and associate dean for student academic affairs, to endow a new scholarship for first-generation students in the College of Arts and Sciences in honor of his late mother, Catherine Krussel.
- Gifts of $25,000 each from six trustees, given at the February board meeting, to the Lewis & Clark Annual Fund.
