2022 CCAA Scholar Recipients

The CCAA Advisory Council awarded 10 students scholarships totaling $9,000 for the 2022-23 academic year. The CCAA Scholars Program received nearly 200 applications from students across the nation who showcased academic merit and notable affinity for Columbia College.

Keyon Coleman

Charlotte, North Carolina
CC Location: Online Program
Major: Business Administration
“My plan moving forward is to pursue entrepreneurship 100% and use all of the knowledge gained to implement and bring about a better business structure that will eventually be perfected to create a chain of businesses that I can proudly call my own.”

Chad Davis

Brookline, Missouri
CC Location: Springfield
Major: Business, Organizational Leadership
“I plan to use my degree to further my career as a labor leader and as a firefighter. I currently hold the rank of Captain with the Springfield Fire Department. The education and skills I have received at CC will help me to advance within my organization. Additionally, I serve as the president of a labor organization that represents nearly 400 hundred firefighters in Southwest Missouri. My education will allow me to better serve the interest of those who help to protect our community.”

Carolann Dunn

Woodstock, Illinois
CC Location: Crystal Lake
Major: Business Administration in Management
“Columbia College has continually provided me with stimulating conversations, interactions with many of my classmates and has helped me broaden my understanding of the world and myself. It has provided me with the opportunity to look at myself and my accomplishments and areas that need improvement helping me become a better person for my community and my employer.”

Britni Hill

San Antonio, Texas
CC Location: Online Program
Major: Master of Arts in Teaching
“I completed my bachelor’s degree at Columbia College and am now pursuing my master’s. In both programs, supporting my peers and receiving that same support from them has been a tremendous help during my academic career. Being an online student, it is easy to feel as if you aren't actually part of the community. Reaching out to fellow students is a nice way of letting them know they aren't at this alone.”

Julie Lide

Rolla, Missouri
CC Location: Rolla
Major: Accounting
“I am currently working on my Bachelors in Science in Accounting and Finance. I hope to continue on with a Masters in Business Administration and look forward to using my degree as a CPA. Having qualified people who want to help small business locally is a real game changer for our community and I want to be part of that. I am in the home stretch and that my journey with Columbia College will be so rewarding and emotional – I have been ready for that diploma!”

Deana Opp

CC Location: Rolla
Rolla, Missouri
Major: Accounting
“When I graduated high school, I did not think I was smart enough for college. I have now been a stay-at-home mom for over 30 years, homeschooling and raising seven children. Once my older children started college, they kept telling me that they thought I would like it. They were right.”

Andrew Schwarting

Jackson, Missouri
CC Location: Day Program
Major: Business Administration and Marketing
“I hold an active role in the ambassador program and am anticipating moving into an executive position next year. I give tours to perspective students and help host registration events. By working in this role, I help shape the makeup of our campus population and am an active representation of the student body at Columbia College.”

Jamaica Scott

Columbia, Missouri
CC Location: Evening Program
Major: Criminal Justice
“I have been fortunate enough to take courses that both resonate with me as a person and support my career goals. I will be able to re-write my story. I am breaking generational barriers being the first one to attend and graduate from college in my family. By valuing my education, I am choosing to lead by example and be a positive role model within my community.”

Cliff Stamper

Salem, Missouri
CC Location: Rolla
Major: Cyber Security
“Columbia has come to mean to me a place that feels like home to a degree. I have a form of autism that makes learning in large crowds of people difficult if not impossible, and the smaller more personal classes at the Rolla site makes it easier to do. The staff are more like family and friends than just professors. We laugh, we share stories as they teach and as we learn.”

Nida Taha

West Valley City, Utah
CC Location: Online Program
Major: Business, Innovations and Entrepreneurship
“As a refugee from Khartoum, Sudan, one of the best learning experiences I've had was a coding class. During the time I was unable to learn the English language, this class opened doors for me. I was given the opportunity to participate in a refugee coding enrichment course provided by a technology startup. Since then, I figured that I wanted to pursue entrepreneurship in hopes of starting my own software firm to help refugee kids gain experience through coding classes.”