A Visit by Shelby and Gale Davis

On October 29, 2012, Shelby and Gale Davis visited campus to meet with the 48 Davis United World College Scholars currently attending Lewis & Clark.  Shelby and Gale Davis established and funded the Davis United World College Scholars (UWC) program in 2001, promising to provide grants of $10,000 or $20,000 per student to select colleges in universities in the U.S.  The first Davis UWC Scholar began at Lewis & Clark in 2004 and 71 total scholars have attended as of 2012, with a record high of 18 scholars in the Class of 2016 cohort.  

Lewis & Clark welcomed the Davises to campus with a luncheon attended by the current scholars, one recent graduate, college administrators, faculty, staff, board of trustee members, and other guests.  The scholars were excited to speak with Shelby and Gale Davis and thank them in person for their scholarships.  While some students had met the Davises during their previous visits, many were meeting them for the first time.  

Speakers at the event included Shelby Davis, Provost Jane Atkinson, Associate Dean of Students and Director of International Students & Scholars Brian White, Shelby Davis, and several students.  Atkinson spoke about the positive impact Davis UWC scholars have had on campus, as well as the generosity of the Davises.  Davis UWC scholar Lame Ungwang ’14 spoke on behalf of her fellow scholars, sharing her experiences at Lewis & Clark and thanking the Davises for their role in bringing her here.  Next, Luke Arella ’13 shared his experiences as a student who is friends with many Davis UWC scholars, in addition to having several as his roommates over the years. 

Trushaa Castelino ’15 followed Luke, presenting Shelby and Gale Davis with a gift.  During a previous visit, the Davises were given a memory book with pages created by each scholar, including pictures and memories from their UWC and Lewis & Clark years, as well as a thank you letter.  Trushaa gave the Davises a new memory book with pages from the new scholars who enrolled at Lewis & Clark since the Davises last visited.

Shelby Davis accepted the gift from Trushaa and spoke for a few minutes about the Davis UWC Scholarship, and the scholars at Lewis & Clark, in particular.  Shelby shared his family’s philosophy of viewing life as 30-year periods: the first 30 spent learning, the next 30 spent “earning,” and then “returning” in the next 30 years through philanthropy.