Union University’s annual scholarship banquet, sponsored by BancorpSouth, was held at the Carl Perkins Civic Center on Thursday, Oct. 18, and featured the multiple Grammy-nominated band MercyMe, a contemporary Christian band that has been awarded several songs and albums of the year, as well as many Christian Music Awards and Dove Awards.
The banquet included a time to meet the members of MercyMe during a question and answer panel with Dr. Dub Oliver and a time to hear a concert put on by the band, making this year’s scholarship banquet unlike previous years.
The event brought in nearly 2,000 people, who not only heard the concert, but also what the Lord has done at Union University.
“We were thrilled to welcome Grammy-nominated and Dove Award-winning MercyMe to the 21st annual scholarship banquet,” said Jason Vaughan, director of development. “It was a joy to celebrate the generosity of Union’s donors who help us make a Christ-centered education possible.”
In previous years, the banquet has brought in names such as Donald Rumsfeld, Ben Carson and George W. Bush. The scholarship banquet is a time for current students, alumni and donors to come together to celebrate what the Lord has done for the university.
“The night showcased Union’s core values of excellence-driven, Christ-centered, people-focused and future-directed in a different way than years past,” said Catherine Kwasigroh, vice president for institutional advancement. “But change is good and needed sometimes.”
Along with Oliver, the question and answer panel included three student representatives: Binh Morris, Anna Strand and David Kagaruki. They discussed being involved in various organizations and groups on campus and how Union has prepared them for a life outside of college.
During the banquet, guests were led in a time of worship as well as a time of learning how Union leads its students into a time of preparation for the world after they graduate, showing how the university is able to put faith into practice.
“We are very pleased with the response we have gotten from the event- to God we give glory!” Kwasigroh said.