Kayla Pietruszka ’11 knew that Loyola Marymount University was the right school for her after a single visit. The biomathematics major was excited to experience life on campus; she joined the Division I varsity women’s rowing team, and was a teaching assistant and tutor for the Department of Mathematics.

But during the transition to her junior year, Pietruszka discovered that she could not afford the rise in tuition costs. A staff member in the Office of Donor Relations told her about the Dempsey Scholarships, an award given to students with high academic achievement who are in financial need. Pietruszka applied and was accepted..

“I was thrilled to hear about this opportunity and decided to apply by writing an essay to Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey detailing why I felt deserving of the award and how I’ve afforded my education thus far,” Pietruszka said.

She explained that without the scholarship, she would not have been able to continue her studies. “Receiving this scholarship impacts my life on a daily basis. I no longer have to worry about how I will afford the yearly increase in tuition. Knowing that my fiscal struggles are no longer an issue certainly eases my mind and allows me to focus on truly enjoying my experience here at LMU,” Pietruszka said.

Pietruszka hopes that her LMU experience will ultimately lead to a career in the medical field and she has aspirations to join the World Health Organization.

She added, “With my sincerest gratitude, I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Dempsey for their generosity. I hope they know that they are doing something amazing by making this scholarship available to students in financial need.”