Story by Alexis Schindler, Staff Writer 

Murray State encouraged students to help other students with financial needs through the revamped version of the Dunker’s Challenge Scholarship.

The scholarship is awarded based on the student’s need and how much is donated to the fund.

A new addition to aid the scholarship fund is the #DunkersChallenge Campaign. Over 120 students have given money in support of the campaign since it began in 2018.

“The #DunkersChallenge is a challenge to get 200 students, faculty and staff to give a donation to the Dunker’s Challenge Student Education Emergency Fund,” Tradae Moore, director of annual giving, said. “Over $3,000 has been raised in support of the #DunkersChallenge.”

The campaign began on Feb. 15 and ended Feb. 22. The goal of 200 was not met with only 60 students participating.

The scholarship started in 2010 when Abigail Hensley, then assistant director of annual giving, and Interim President Bob Jackson, then executive director of development and governmental relations, saw there was a need for a better campaign that encouraged all students to give back.

“We created Dunker’s Challenge originally as a student giving campaign to reward students who participated, so if they gave $10 they would be put into the scholarship system to receive the Dunker’s Challenge Scholarship,” Hensley, now director of development in Hutson School of Agriculture, said. “That is how we kind of gained the momentum of Dunker’s Challenge from the very beginning.”

The scholarship no longer enters students who give to the challenge to receive the scholarship. Instead, the scholarship gives students in situations that could prevent them from continuing their education at Murray State a chance.

This includes students who need help paying for tuition, transportation, housing, books or application fees. It is also for students who are living on campus and need emergency housing and dining services during a semester or holiday break. Due to this, the name is no longer Dunker’s Challenge Scholarship, but Dunker’s Challenge Student Education Emergency Fund.

“The Dunker’s Challenge Student Education Emergency Fund is a University-wide initiative coordinated between the Murray State University Foundation and the offices of Student Affairs, Student Engagement and Success, Financial Aid and University Advancement,” according to the Murray State website.

One student has been awarded the scholarship since it has changed.

“The emergency piece of it is really the big factor they look at to determine if a student is eligible and if their emergency is greater need,” Hensley said. “Emergencies can happen throughout the academic year, so anytime that a student faces a situation that they just don’t have any control over they need to go to the Office of Student Engagement & Success and talk to Mrs. Peggy Whaley about the potential opportunity to receive the Dunker’s Challenge Student Education Emergency Scholarship.”

The scholarship was created not only to promote student giving, but as a way to gather student information as well. It has created a way for the University to gather information such as phone numbers, email addresses and student leadership involvement. This information is used to connect to students and build a bond.

Information about eligibility for the scholarship and donating to the fund can be found at https://www.murraystate.edu/giving/dunkerschallenge.aspx.