Utah Valley University (UVU) celebrated the students, donors, alumni, mentors, and community partners shaping the university’s future during the 2026 President’s Scholarship Ball on Oct. 10. This year’s President’s Scholarship Ball raised $792,450 to support student scholarships at UVU. The funds will help provide students with greater access to educational opportunities and reduce financial barriers as they pursue their degrees.
Chelsea and Casey Baugh sponsored the annual event, which centered on the theme “Future in Focus” and highlighted how scholarships, mentorship, engaged learning, and community involvement can shape students’ education, careers, and lives.
Over the past year, 1,435 UVU students received a total of 1,683 privately funded scholarships, including 333 students who received four-year, full-tuition Presidential Scholarships. Five new endowed scholarships have also been established in recent months in the areas of physical therapy, occupational therapy, physician assistant studies, Huntsman Cancer Institute research, and engaged learning and workforce development.
The evening marked President Jon Anderson’s first President’s Scholarship Ball as UVU’s eighth president. In his closing remarks, Anderson emphasized that while UVU continues to grow, its central mission remains focused on preparing students for success in work and life.
“As we bring UVU’s future into focus, we will remain true to that mission, educating every student for success in work and life,” Anderson said. “When we invest in these students, we are investing in Utah’s future.”
He also noted that UVU enrolls, educates, and graduates more Utahns than any university, with 90% of students coming from Utah and 75% of graduates still living, working, and leading in the state 10 years after graduation.
Kristy Anderson, the first lady of UVU, also addressed attendees, sharing her own experience returning to school later in life and earning a nursing degree in May. She described classmates whose education was made possible through scholarships and connected those experiences to the impact donors can have on students and their families.
“As donors, you have the extraordinary ability to change lives,” Kristy Anderson said. “Your generosity opens doors, creates opportunities, and empowers students to achieve what once may have seemed beyond their reach.”
She added that the impact of scholarships often extends well beyond the student receiving them.
“You are not simply giving to a university; you are investing in people, in potential, and in a brighter future for all of us,” she said.
Kyle A. Reyes, vice president of Institutional Advancement, announced that Danny Horns, dean of the College of Science, and Renee Zollinger Horns recently established the Renee D. Zollinger and Daniel M. Horns Endowed Scholarship with a $100,000 pledge to support students studying earth sciences.
The evening showcased student talent through performances by the UVU Repertory Ballet Ensemble, the UVU Ballroom Dance Company, a UVU student string quartet, and vocalist Sadie Dahl. Guests also enjoyed a four-course meal prepared and plated by chefs and students in UVU’s Culinary Arts Institute. Culinary Arts professor and Certified Executive Pastry Chef Diana Fallis was recognized for more than 20 years of contributing desserts to the President’s Scholarship Ball.
The President’s Scholarship Ball is Utah Valley University’s annual event supporting Presidential Scholarships and celebrating the donors, alumni, friends, faculty, staff, and community partners who help create opportunities for students.
