"Every person I met on campus wanted me there, and that sense of belonging was so beautiful,” Tess Riley says of her first visit to JMU. “This scholarship came and I knew, yes, this is the place."

Coming from a Penn State family, she initially felt an expectation to attend her family’s alma mater. “It really was a hard decision, but in the end, JMU felt like my home. The Fifty to Infinity Scholarship made JMU the same cost as Penn State in-state, allowing me to make my own decision.”

Riley, the owner of a jewelry collection featured online and in regional stores, says she loves how business can bring people together. “One time a waitress wearing one of my bracelets told me it helped her get through hard days. Moments like that make the business journey meaningful beyond profits."

She envisions a future filled with that type of connection: "I want a career where I interact with diverse people. Talking to people, creating those unique connections, that’s what drives me."

After a single day in Harrisonburg, Melissa Acors knew JMU would become her home. "I visited. I loved it, and I didn’t want to consider anywhere else,” she recalls. “Getting the Fifty to Infinity Scholarship was the icing on the cake."

From childhood lemonade stands to a position in store management at a Chick-fil-A, Acors came to JMU already conversant about profit margins, shift management, inventory and productivity strategies. She has not yet declared a major, but is considering Finance and has aspirations to work in fraud detection for a bank or government agency.

While she explores her options, Acors says she’s constantly grateful to be at JMU. “This scholarship showed me that JMU saw value in me in the ways I wanted to be valued. It reaffirmed that I would not be just a number at this school.”

"The Fifty to Infinity Scholarship made my decision for me," Duncan Kelleher says. “I’d worked hard in high school, and this was validation that my work paid off. I felt rewarded for putting in so much effort.” He considered colleges across Virginia but ultimately chose JMU’s combination of a strong business program with a close-knit community.

Kelleher is serving as a tutor with University Student-Athlete Services and “ace”-ing challenging classes like Computer Information Systems with Professor Tom Dillon. "It was rumored to be one of the toughest classes, but I had such a positive experience that I’m considering changing my major. I never thought of myself as someone who enjoyed programming, but now I’m thinking my future will probably have something to do with computers."

Kelleher says he’s glad he chose JMU and is grateful to CoB supporters for rewarding his ambition: “I hope all the donors know how much this means to students like me; it’s what made JMU possible.”

Before graduating high school, Katie Kelly was already running a profitable online bakery. So it came as no surprise when she was recruited by business schools across the country. “It came down to the University of Miami, Virginia Tech or JMU,” she recalls. “Once I got the Fifty to Infinity Scholarship, I realized I needed to look at JMU very seriously because clearly, JMU saw promise in me.”

Now pursuing a Business Management degree, Kelly has put her baking pursuits on pause to focus on her academics. “I loved being an entrepreneur. I learned that the business parts came naturally to me,” she says. 

She is currently serving as a First Year Orientation Guide (FROG) and a teacher for the Dancing Dukes, with hopes of later earning a master’s degree. “I’m proud to be a Duke, and I’m working hard to take advantage of every opportunity I can while I’m here.”