Thirty-one Kansas City-area students are heading into the next school year with one less financial burden after the Gathering of Pearls Foundation awarded $36,000 in scholarships during its fifth annual Made for Success Scholarship Brunch .
Held under the theme “Be the Legacy,” the annual fundraiser celebrated students pursuing higher education while highlighting the foundation’s mission of helping remove financial barriers to college for deserving young people across the Kansas City metropolitan area.
Scholarships were awarded through the foundation’s Fresh Start program, which supports incoming college freshmen and sophomores, and the Finish Strong program, which assists students completing their junior and senior years. Several recipients have received support from the foundation throughout multiple years of their college careers, and many are attending Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
Founded in 2020 by Southern University and LSU alumna Dr. Donna Leah Houpe, the Gathering of Pearls Foundation was created to expand educational opportunities for students who demonstrate academic achievement, community involvement and leadership potential.
The foundation also recognized four educators whose dedication to students and the community has left a lasting impact. Jonathan Houpe, Nicolle Jones, Michelle Dickerson and Billee Runnels-Potts received the Hilda Rodrigue Impact Award, named in honor of Houpe’s late mother, whose commitment to education and service helped inspire the foundation’s mission.
Support from community partners and donors continues to fuel the organization’s growth. This year’s event received assistance from the Kansas City, Missouri Neighborhood Tourist Development Fund, 5th District At-Large Councilmember Darrell Curls, Holy Rosary Credit Union and the Alpha Delta Kappa Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Incorporated, which donated $3,100 in gift cards to scholarship recipients.
Since its founding, the Gathering of Pearls Foundation has awarded more than $175,000 in scholarships to 64 students throughout the Kansas City metropolitan area while honoring 14 educators through the Hilda Rodrigue Impact Award. Foundation leaders hope to increase annual scholarship awards to $50,000 by 2027 as they continue investing in students and strengthening educational opportunities across the region.
More information about the Gathering of Pearls Foundation, scholarship opportunities and ways to support its mission is available at GOPFND.org.
