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NWACC's Breakfast Event Raises Scholarship Funding
Belief and investment in students’ potential was the theme of this year’s Northwest Arkansas Community College Foundation Scholarship Breakfast. The event took place October 2, 2025 in Walmart Auditorium of the Shewmaker Center for Workforce Technologies on the Bentonville campus.
“This morning is a unique chance to see that impact firsthand,” said Liz Anderson, Executive Director of NWACC Foundation. “To our student recipients, thank you for being here. We’re so proud of you. We know the hard work, determination, perseverance that brought you here and we’re honored to walk alongside you as you pursue your dreams.”
Each year the NWACC Foundation creates new scholarships for students as community members find additional ways they want to show support. A total of four new scholarships were added this year, including the Don Smith Legacy Scholarship, the Northwest Arkansas ISACA Scholarship, the Connor Matthew Brinsfield Memorial Scholarship and the International Outreach Services Scholarship.
Mike Luttrell, Vice President of the NWACC Foundation Board of Directors, said donations are much more than simply writing a check. Instead, it’s truly a way to change lives. He congratulated the current scholarship recipients, “it’s not just handed to you,” Luttrell said. “You have to qualify for it and you have to do certain things to maintain it. We appreciate those efforts and we hope it benefits you greatly as you go forward.”
Speaking as an employer, Luttrell said he hoped many of the students would stick around in Northwest Arkansas. Among NWACC’s strengths, he said, was keeping tuition affordable and one avenue for that is securing funds for scholarships and facilities. College would not be possible for many students otherwise, he said.
More than 3,200 NWACC students received financial aid in the last year. This academic year, the NWACC Foundation was able to provide $420,000 in funding – $70,000 of which was raised during its Plant a Seed Soiree in May– and $350,000 in endowed and annual scholarships that were awarded to deserving students.
“Every single dollar makes a difference,” Luttrell said. “Whether it’s helping a student buy textbooks, or maybe it’s tuition or to stay in school during a tough time.”
Dr. Dennis C. Rittle, President of Northwest Arkansas Community College, thanked all donors for making the scholarships possible.
“You continue to invest in the most important, valuable societal resource that we have, the development of our people, specifically our students, who are the current and future workforce of Northwest Arkansas.”
Investing in students comes with big benefits and long term impacts for the region, Rittle said, by helping Northwest Arkansas recruit and retain top talent, since approximately 95% of NWACC graduates stay in the area. Many students continue their education at a four year university, enter the workforce and leverage their education to improve their employability.
“They’re all trusting NWACC to equip them so they can continue to make a better life for themselves and their loved ones,” Rittle said. Donors are “absolutely essential as a resource to the success of our students. Absent of your investment, many would be overwhelmed or overcome because of the fiscal barriers they face.”
Northwest Arkansas Community College’s goal is to meet students where they’re at as they begin their educational journey.
Sam Cooper, an NWACC student currently enrolled as a business administration and management major in his third semester was chosen as the recipient of the Willard and Pat Walker Scholarship. The scholarship eased the anxiety over tuition cost and allowed him to focus more on his own academic aspirations.
“It’s a very encouraging feeling to be supported in such a way,” Cooper said during the event. “I recognize how fortunate I am to receive such an opportunity that will only improve my academic journey.”
Cooper joined a kickboxing gym in Rogers and found a passion for competing, recently winning his first fight. Since being exposed to the combat sports industry, he’s been able to distinguish a clear career path that incorporates his passion for sports and business.
“I always wanted to pursue a career that was sports-related and incorporated my general interest in business, which is why I decided to major in business administration management with a desire to get into sports management,” he said.
Cooper has found a safe landing place at NWACC and said the scholarship is a weight off his mind. Though his parents are both high earners, disposable income is low in his household due to the financial constraints of one of his siblings having a disability that was difficult to diagnose and treat.
“Receiving the Willard and Pat Walker Endowed Scholarship has given me the confidence and belief in myself that I can progress through community college with the eventual aim to transfer to a larger university that accommodates my academic goals and allows me to pursue my desired career.”
Liz Anderson said Cooper’s story is a powerful reminder of the impact that scholarships can have on a student’s life to open doors, provide support and make dreams possible.
NWACC Foundation’s scholarship application for the next academic school year is open through March 1, 2026. Learn more at nwaccfoundation.org.