Receiving scholarships and throwing the hammer in track and field have something in common. Scholarships provide the energy and impetus for students to orbit, turn, and release—circling and exploring the rich realm of curricular, co-curricular, and extra-curricular opportunities at Reinhardt until they find their passion and release it into the world.
Senior Andrew Paolozzi (RU-2025) knows something about energy and the terms orbit, turn, and release as a champion hammer thrower and shot putter for Reinhardt’s track and field team. He has turned scholarships into pure energy in the classroom, on campus, and on the athletic field.
“Having scholarships meant everything. I cannot afford to come here otherwise. One of the scholarships was from the John and Mary Franklin Foundation. I wanted to make sure that they were spending their money wisely, and that what they were doing was worth something so I worked as hard as I could to make them proud. If I’m fortunate enough to get a scholarship, then I need to do whatever I possibly can to make sure the money went to good use. So that was my biggest goal.”
Indeed, Paolozzi put the Franklin Foundation’s contributions—as well as those from other scholarships—to good use by becoming a model of Reinhardt’s values: learning, serving, and leading. As a business administration major with a concentration in digital marketing, he secured a coveted AI Governance PMO internship with The Coca-Company. He led the business club and reinvigorated student participation. As SGA vice president, he championed a garden club with biology faculty Kylie Stover. On the athletic field, he served as the track and field captain as an NAIA conference champion and is approaching his fifth time competing at nationals. He’s a member of Alpha Chi Honor Society, graduating with a 4.0, and ready to meet the world in the next chapter of his life.
Join Reinhardt University’s work in unleashing individual potential for success by making a contribution. Give more students like Andrew Paolozzi the energy to learn, serve, and lead.
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