Blackburn Institute

Karis Browder Receives First Annual Don and Barbara (Bobbie) Siegal Endowed Scholarship

March 9, 2010

At the Blackburn Institute’s annual D. Ray Pate Dinner in September 2009, Advisory Board Members Don and Bobbie Siegal presented Karis Browder with the inaugural Don and Barbara Siegal Endowed Scholarship.  The scholarship is designed to recognize Blackburn Institute Student Fellows with a demonstrated interest in and a concern for the promotion of cultural understanding.

On receiving this prestigious scholarship, Karis, the president of Sigma Lambda Gamma intercultural sorority, said, “Winning the scholarship was very important for me because it showed me the support that I have from the Blackburn family.  It is encouraging to know that the Siegals and others are as passionate about the promotion of cultural understanding as I am.”  In her application, Karis shared her desires for affecting positive change in her community by including disparate voices and by valuing opinions other than her own. 

Becky Reamey, Assistant Director of the Blackburn Institute, said of Karis: “Karis is a wonderful inspiration to us all as she promotes cultural understanding around campus.  She is consistently searching for ways to improve the world around her.  As a testament to her character, Karis planned to reinvest a portion of the scholarship money in activities to help her multicultural sorority grow.  She embodies the characteristics that are described in the scholarship application.”

The Siegals said the idea for the scholarship came from the inspiration Dr. John L. Blackburn provided during the peaceful integration of the University in 1963.  “We hope John L. Blackburn’s vision of a campus of caring individuals will last into perpetuity,” the Siegals said about the legacy they would like the scholarship to leave.  They hope this scholarship will encourage Blackburn Student Fellows to continue to make the campus a place where all students feel welcomed so they can pursue their education in an atmosphere of equality.  Karis echoed that sentiment by saying, “I hope that others will see the Siegal scholarship as an opportunity to invest towards projects and other experiences that actively promote multiculturalism, especially in the UA community.  I wish that Dr. Blackburn was here to see the strides the campus has taken towards diversity and more cultural understanding.”

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