by Brian Kleeman, College of DuPage
During the recent 2022 Scholarship Celebration, College of DuPage student Rowan Bandour thanked the College of DuPage Foundation for receiving the John Belushi/Second City Theatre Scholarship.
“In middle school, I was obsessed with the film ‘The Blues Brothers.’ You couldn’t imagine my excitement when I learned that the scholarship I received was in John Belushi’s name,” Bandour said of Belushi, who attended COD before finding fame at Second City, on “Saturday Night Live” and in films. “This college has become home. It means community to me and it means hope. I cannot believe how many people love me this much and care about my success.”
Bandour was one of many scholarship donors and recipients who shared their stories during the breakfast event, which brought together more than 200 people to celebrate student success.
This year, the College of DuPage Foundation awarded $336,145 in scholarships that impacted more than 350 students. Derryk Madsen, president of the COD Foundation Board of Directors, said scholarship recipients are unified by their drive.
“Today we are able to connect scholarship recipients with donors and share stories of what we are able to achieve together,” he said.
Walter Johnson, Vice President of Institutional Advancement at COD, spoke about the reach that occurs when donors support students through scholarships.
“If your scholarship changes one life, that life will touch hundreds,” he said. “If we keep doing this collectively, we will change the world, and that’s what we celebrate this morning.”
For more information about the Foundation and its scholarship program, visit foundation.cod.edu.
