Sol Pettit-Scott

Changing Lives by: establishing the Up ’til Dawn Leadership Scholarship

K-State connection: Sol earned a degree in chemical engineering at K-State in 2004. While a student, he was a member of Sigma Phi Epsilon fraternity, Blue Key Senior Honor Society and a Telefund volunteer at the KSU Foundation. He is also the founder of the K-State chapter of Up ’til Dawn, a student-led program hosted by universities nationwide to help the children at St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.

Why he gave: “I set up the Up ’til Dawn Leadership Scholarship because I believe that it was my responsibility to create and support opportunities at K-State, just like they were presented for me,” Sol said.

Impact/Why it matters: “As much as I can and ever will give back to K-State and the groups I was involved in, it will never be a tenth of what I gained in being a student at Kansas State University. Success comes from opportunities. I was able to be a part of success because someone created an opportunity for me. K-State students that came before me set up opportunities in scholarships that fueled my education. Leaders presented me opportunities to choose to grow and learn,” Sol said.

The power of matching: One of the factors enabling Sol to make a significant gift so soon after college was the matching gifts program at ExxonMobil. The company provides a 3-to-1 match for eligible gifts.

What people are saying: “Sol made our K-State community a better place while he was a student leader. This scholarship represents very well his passion for service to others and how one person can make a huge impact on the K-State family,” Pat Bosco, dean of student life and associate vice president for institutional advancement, said.