King’s College Celebrates Scholarship Impact and Student Achievement at 10th Annual Brunch

King’s College held its 10th annual Scholarship Brunch on March 23, 2026, to honor the institution’s donors and showcase their impact through the 90 annual and endowed scholarship programs represented at the brunch.

Nearly 180 donors and students attended the brunch. The keynote speech was delivered by Frank Balz ’72, who funds a needs-based scholarship for deserving students. The Joseph W. and Ann P. Balz Memorial Scholarship. The award is given in memory of his parents, Ann P. Balz, the first employee of the College, who contributed greatly to the early administration of the school, and Joseph W. Balz, a member of the first graduating class of King’s College in 1950. Joseph was employed by King’s College from its founding in 1946 until 2017, for more than 70 years.

“Many of these scholarships, including the one that my family supports, include the word ‘memorial.’ But instead of memorializing the individuals for whom the scholarships are named, these funds commemorate the ideals held by these individuals when they were with us,” said Balz. “That education is a driver of opportunity and that King’s is a place where dreams can become reality. My parents wholeheartedly believed this.”

Featured student speaker Mann Patel ’28, a sophomore majoring in history, criminal justice, and philosophy, minoring in ethics, social work, and sociology, spoke on being the recipient of The Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara, C.S.C., Scholarship for Community Service.

“The Rev. Thomas J. O’Hara Scholarship for Community Service recognizes students who are committed to community service, which is an integral part of the College’s mission and a tenet of my personal philosophy,” said Patel. “Through programs like our Shoval Center’s SERVE Trips, I have had the opportunity to work alongside members of my King’s family who believe that service is not just something we do occasionally, but rather a duty of all those around us.”

“To the donors who have supported all the scholarships in the room today, I would like to thank you again for investing in the future of our students and the mission of King’s College. Your ability to endlessly cross borders into the hearts and lives of our students will allow us to pursue opportunities that we might not have been able to reach,” said Patel.

The brunch is organized through the College’s Office of Institutional Advancement, which facilitates more than 315 endowed scholarships and annual scholarships.