AN ‘AUDACIOUS’ IDEA TURNS 50 The P250 scholarship, launched by Albion student leaders in 1971, has benefited generations of Britons. The backstory might just be as big as the scholarship itself. By Erin Peterson Zahra Ahmed, ’22, had wanted to be a student leader at Albion College almost from the moment she first stepped on campus. She pursued her goals by getting involved in Student Senate, among many activities. She took courses to help her become a better leader. By her junior year, she had been elected Student Senate president. Still, no courses could have fully prepared her to lead her fellow students through a worlddisrupting pandemic. She projected confidence and optimism as students returned to campus in the fall, but she also wondered if she was really up to the leadership challenge. One thing that made a difference was the P250 scholarship she had received in spring 2020. The competitive scholarship, worth a quarter of Albion’s tuition, recognizes a handful of students for their leadership qualities, contributions, and service during their time at Albion.
26 | Albion College Io Triumphe!
The value of the scholarship was significant. Ahmed was thrilled that she could spend more hours on meaningful volunteer work. And for the math/physics major, it was a psychological boost, too. “There definitely have been times that I felt kind of down about stuff,” she says. “But realizing that there were people investing in me, who really believe in my potential, helped me keep my head up and dream about what more I could do for the Albion community and how I could give back in the future.” The P250 scholarship—short for President Bernard T. Lomas Endowed Scholarship Project 250—is designed to “encourage students to contribute significant improvements to the campus and the Albion community in and out of the classroom,” says Pam Schuler, assistant director for leadership and community service. It has supported hundreds of students over the course of five decades. And it got its start 50 years ago from a group of ambitious, forward-thinking
students whose dreams were just as big as those of the students who receive it today.
