“The 2015-16 school year is the third year that
Harry and Lucy have been gracious enough to
bless me with a scholarship through COSAM.
I’ve had the absolute honor of sitting down to
coffee with them and even introducing Lucy at
the talk she gave in spring of 2015 as a part of
COSAM’s Distinguished Women in Science
series. As scientists and humble humans, they are
my absolute inspiration.
Khorizon Dunn, from Kennesaw, Georgia, is
a junior studying biology and art. She currently
works in the COSAM Office of Outreach and is
president of Diversity in Honors, a program on
campus that works to build and increase academic
and career success for Honors College students
of diverse backgrounds. She is the recipient of
the East Alabama Medical Center Endowed
Scholarship and a COSAM annual scholarship.
“My scholarship has done a lot of practical
things for my college career. For instance, Harry
and Lucy’s donations were sufficient for my
out-of-state tuition to be waived, meaning I pay
no tuition to attend Auburn because university
scholarships cover the rest. With that financial
burden off my shoulders, I was able to enjoy the
marching band for two years without feeling guilty
for not having a job.
“I chose Auburn because the atmosphere was very
family-like, and it reminded me of home. I was
fortunate to be awarded scholarships that greatly
decreased the amount of student loans I need to
take out, which will help me tremendously in the
“When I dive into a book, I fully invest myself
in the characters and allow myself to get deeply
intertwined in their story. For me, reading is a
connection to the life of another, even if that
person doesn’t actually exist. It’s about investing
in their story. That’s exactly what Harry and
Lucy have done with me. They opened up the
pages of the book of my life, and invested their
funds, their time, and their support into my story,
simultaneously inviting me into theirs. They are
so dedicated to the youth of this nation that
they dove head first into the story of a girl from
Tennessee with a love for chemistry and a passion
for learning. They make me feel I matter as a
student. Just knowing that they care about me and
my intellectual growth makes me want to work
harder, learn more, and expand my horizons over
and over again. It’ s hard for me to express just
how much their presence in my life encourages
me to be greater than I could ever spur myself to
be. Harry and Lucy are major characters in my
story, and I hope they consider me one in theirs.
It’s about them investing in my story. That’s the
essence of what their donation to my college
career has meant to me.”
“I’ve had the opportunity to work in the COSAM
Office of Outreach, where I help encourage
children from kindergarten through 12th grade
to enjoy science and math by planning, preparing,
and facilitating educational events such as robotics
competitions, math puzzle challenges, and teacher
workshops.
“After graduating from Auburn, I plan to sharpen
my medical illustration skills while earning my
master’s degree. I hope to continue learning as
I begin my career illustrating posters, comic
books, graphic novels, textbook images, and other
types of images detailing body parts, processes,
and functions to increase public knowledge and
awareness of medical concepts.
“Funding for student scholarships is very important
because you are not only investing in one person’s
education, but all the people with whom that
person will come into contact later on in life. The
impact is a sort of domino effect that continues to
inspire education, the pursuit of knowledge, and a
love of learning in so many people. Scholarships
make this constant improvement possible for
people who otherwise may not be able to reach
their full potential, and these opportunities they
provide are invaluable.”
For information on how you too can provide
COSAM scholarships, contact the COSAM Office
of Alumni & Development at 334.844.2931 or
[email protected].
future. For me, it means that someone, with a very
limited knowledge of me, believes in and supports
me. This makes me even more determined to earn
my degrees and become a medical illustrator so I
can show how investing in someone’s education
can have a huge profit to entire communities.
I’m relieved of the stress of accruing student
loans, and am able to purchase textbooks and art
supplies needed for classes.
“My major is a combination of biology and art.
My drawings have been used at the Auburn
University Museum of Natural History, where
I’ve drawn images such as crayfish to illustrate the
differences between two very similar species, and a
type of armored catfish that is still being classified.
College of Sciences and Mathematics
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