Letter from the President
This is the time of year when my heart is warmed by the generosity of the Bengal community. Our faculty, staff and students have made many lives a little brighter this holiday season. Our soccer team visited an assisted living center and played bingo with residents.
Our student clubs gave presents to families, and students and staff from our Pocatello, Idaho Falls and Twin Falls locations collected gifts for needy students, families and community members. As they do throughout the year, our Bengal community continued to fill the shelves at Benny's Pantry, a food bank for students in need. This fall, Benny's Pantry also opened a second location for our students in Idaho Falls.
Throughout the year, we serve the community in our clinics and through our community events, such as Give Kids a Smile Day, where students and local dentists work together to provide free dental care for children. We enjoy offering opportunities in the arts, such as Opera Week, where the public was treated to performances of "The Magic Flute" by Opera Idaho, and of our own students at the New York Metropolitan Opera Regional Auditions. During Opera Week, local schoolchildren were also given the opportunity to see their first opera, a mini-version of "The Magic Flute" performed in an easy-to-understand way.
Bengals love being part of the community, in part because the community is such a part of our success. It is through support and gifts from alumni and friends like you that our students are able to learn, grow and succeed. Currently, more than 60 percent of our students receive some form of financial assistance. I am incredibly grateful for the thousands of people who have given so generously to our institution, not only in scholarship assistance, but by cheering on our athletes at games, by encouraging your children, nieces and nephews to consider Idaho State University, and by being a testament to the education you received here through your achievements.
Our students are thankful as well. Scholarship recipient Brianne Birch, a political science major, says it best: "I want to thank the alumni and friends of ISU who make it possible for me to pursue my goals. Your role in my journey cannot be understated. Simply put, without you, I wouldn't be here."
Thank you for all that you do for us. Go Bengals!