For the past several years, Hollins has been privileged to welcome students from one particular southeastern North Carolina county, thanks to the generosity of a local nonprofit organization.

Each year, The Simple Gifts Fund (SGF) awards scholarships to high school seniors graduating from a school within Sampson County, North Carolina. The scholarships are intended to address unmet need in order to help students attend a private liberal arts college or university outside the state and earn a four-year degree. The scholarships are given to students who graduate in the top quarter of their class, demonstrate academic achievement and excellence, and epitomize outstanding character and leadership.

“The Simple Gifts scholarship has had a significant influence on my life,” said Jennifer Moreno-Gomez ’25, a psychology major. “It’s not just about financial support; I’ve had endless opportunities to create some of the best memories, study abroad, and figure out what I’m truly passionate about. [I’m helping to] prove that first-generation Latina students have the power to make a difference.”

Lilibeth Arzate ’25, a double major in Spanish and political science, says, “Being a first-generation student, I grew up with little to no resources in my life around the idea of access to higher education.” Arzate learned about the SGF scholarship through her family and her high school, and “Hollins caught my eye at a college fair. The ambassador happened to be an SGF scholar, and instantly I knew that if she could do it, I could, too.”

Ariana Romero ’26, who is also majoring in psychology, called the ability to attend college debt-free “a blessing” and believes she has “learned a lot about myself, grown independently, and [gained] an opportunity to achieve and prosper” while at Hollins.