In 2015 William S. Smith ’74 established the Colorado College Endowed Scholarship Challenge through an estate commitment that supports scholarships. Whenever other donors make estate commitments and outright gifts of $100,00 or more toward endowed scholarships, Smith directs $100,000 toward endowed CC scholarships. The result of the challenge, when successfully completed, will be at least $20 million for additional scholarship support and 101 new or enhanced scholarships. Originally Smith’s gift was anonymous, but when the college publicly launched Building on Originality: the Campaign for Colorado College, he decided the time was right to step forward and rally fellow alumni and friends of the college by encouraging them to participate in the scholarship challenge.

“The most important step I ever took to achieving my goals started the first day I stepped onto the Colorado College campus,” Smith says. “I would find it hard to believe that in some way Colorado College was not also transformative for other alumni. I think we all owe something back to the institution that provided each of us with the necessary tools to carry out productive and successful lives. Giving back is the right and proper thing to do. It is time to take action now.”

For more information about Scholarship Challenge 101, please contact Stephany Marreel at smarreel@coloradocollege.edu or (719) 389-6231.