Dreams come true for ASU students with 'Hearts and Scholars'

One act of generosity can leave an indelible mark on the lives of students and the educational priorities of programs at Arizona State University.

Supporters of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences play a vital role in accelerating the university’s mission to ensure access to all deserving students, leverage the strength of faculty to ignite discovery and develop vibrant communities. 

Philanthropy puts dreams within reach for scholarship recipients, fueling new knowledge, inspiration and helping create a foundation of progress and generosity.

Hearts

Those who give to ASU often do so in a way that expresses endearment and acknowledgement to not only the school, but also to those they love.

One of the many donors giving back to ASU is Elizabeth Holman Brooks, who established a scholarship in her late husband’s name to represent his conscientiousness and loyalty as a legislator in District 24.

"He was a very sincere and loyal person," she said. "Because he was interested in politics, we decided establishing a scholarship in political science would be a marvelous way to honor him."

For a decade, Calvin M. Holman served in the Arizona House of Representatives, representing constituents in Paradise Valley, North Phoenix and Sun City. He was also very active in the community. Holman was chairman of the Arizona Council for the Hearing Impaired, president of the Scottsdale Republican Forum and a member of Scottsdale Sunrise Rotary.

Holman died in an automobile accident in 2007. The political science scholarship is a tribute to his dedication and service to the citizens of Arizona. It encourages students to explore service in the legislature and a career in legislative affairs.

“My family and I wanted to establish the scholarship at ASU because it’s a growing and vibrant university,” Holman Brooks said. “We’re just a small part of it, but it’s very satisfying to us as donors.”

Scholars

Dena Kalamchi, a double major in political science and sociology with a certificate in international studies, received the Calvin M. Holman Political Science Scholarship this year. She is fascinated by international policy and has always been interested in social justice and community involvement.

Kalamchi’s scholarship provides her with the opportunity to make a difference, serving as a fellow for the Chautauqua Institution, a not-for-profit community committed to exploring the best in human values and the enrichment of life by engaging in discussions on important religious, social and political issues.

However, Kalamchi is not the only student recipient working hard. Miriam Antonieta Carpenter-Cosand is a first-year doctoral student in Spanish literature and culture from the School of International Letters and Cultures. The recipient of the Foster Latin America Research Fellowship Endowment this year, she is working to combine her love for painting with her studies in Spanish culture, and recognizes how philanthropy makes her vision achievable.

“Philanthropic support is a very generous and conscious act because donors are thinking about future generations and what we do to improve,” she said. “I always feel very grateful. Thank you for making my dreams a possibility.”

Briana Rodriguez, a first-generation student, didn’t think it would be possible to obtain a higher education, but when she received the First Generation Justice Studies Scholarship, everything changed.

Currently pursuing her undergraduate degree in justice studies at the School of Social Transformation, Rodriguez hopes to go into law and help families in need. The scholarship will allow Rodriguez to reach her goal of fighting for children and parent rights, as she has experienced the foster care system and now has the chance to make a positive impact.  

“This scholarship lifted a burden off my shoulders and gave me an opportunity in life,” Rodriguez said. “In the future, I intend to come back to ASU to help in any way I can.”

Hearts and Scholars

For more than 10 years, the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences has been bringing together donors and student recipients to celebrate the philanthropy of scholarships and the impacts these scholarships have on students and their dreams for the future.

The annual Hearts and Scholars event will take place at 5 p.m. Feb. 8 on the Tempe campus for invited guests.

“It’s an excellent event,” Holman Brooks said. “And education is worthy. Very worthy.”