Celebrating the impact of philanthropy, the University of North Carolina Wilmington hosted the Scholarship Dinner on Thursday, April 10 — honoring the generosity of donors who support UNCW endowed and annual scholarships and recognizing the accomplishments of the Seahawk students who receive the donor-funded annual awards.
Attended by nearly 40 scholarship donors and more than 70 student recipients, the event created a unique opportunity for donors and student beneficiaries to meet each other and create lasting connections of shared gratitude and inspiration.
“UNCW is having its best fundraising year ever,” said Vice Chancellor Eddie Stuart ’05. “So far this year, donors have committed over $44 million in support of our students and our faculty. These remarkable accomplishments deserve a celebration, and I can’t think of a better way to do that than to bring together the donors who make this all possible and the students who benefit from your generosity. We are truly inspired by each and every one of you.”
Over the storied history of UNCW, more than 1,000 endowed and annually funded scholarships have been established by generous donors to impact the Seahawk student experience.
Scholarships are often named in honor of an individual or an organization, and each has unique and specific criteria that must be met for UNCW students to be considered for the annual merit awards.
Featuring speakers including former and current Seahawk scholarship recipients Bobby Guntoro ’12 and Olga Romero Zelaya, Class of 2028, the event highlighted the ongoing need for endowed long-term investments to continue to support Seahawk student success.
A native of Indonesia, Guntoro received an athletics scholarship for men’s swimming that helped pave his way to earning a UNCW degree in business administration. Reflecting on his journey as a first-generation university student, he shared the pride he and his family felt as he graduated and achieved their collective dream. “I’m so thankful for the generosity of the people that give to our university, who allow someone like me to have the experience I did here,” he said, sharing that he didn’t go home during his four years on campus and was grateful for the Wilmington community that became his extended family. “I wanted to make sure that the scholarship I received from the university allowed me to build my community, allowed me to build my tribe here in Wilmington, and that ultimately inspired me to come back home to UNCW.”
Following a successful student-athlete career at UNCW — including achieving numerous program records and playing an integral role in leading the Seahawks to four Colonial Athletic Conference (CAA) Men’s Swimming and Diving Championships — Guntoro left the nest to coach for eight seasons at North Carolina State. Returning to Wilmington in 2020, Guntoro has come full circle and is once again leading the Seahawks, but now as the Head Coach of both the Men’s and Women’s Swimming and Diving programs — continuing to impact, and now give back to, the program that gave so much to him.
Romero Zelaya is a Salvadorian-American, first-generation honors student in her second year at UNCW. At just 18 years old she is making significant strides in pursuing dual majors in criminology and international studies and dual minors in Spanish and forensic science.
“What once felt like a dream has now become my reality,” she said, sharing how her experience at UNCW has positively impacted her — especially after graduating from high school at age 16 while working 40 hours a week to support her family of eight.
“Everything I have accomplished so far has been made possible by your generosity. I’ve been given the incredible opportunity to pursue my passion for criminal justice, a privilege I don’t take lightly. I’ve been given a chance to build my own future, and my brothers and my cousins have now been inspired to pursue higher education.”
A committed and focused student, Romero Zelaya has dedicated much of her first two years at UNCW to undergraduate research, with emphasis on migrants seeking asylum in El Salvador and the resources available to them. She will be continuing her research work in El Salvador, in addition to studying abroad in Costa Rica, during the summer of 2025. As she continues her studies and research, she will be dedicating her honors thesis to her family.
“Thanks to your support, I have been able to break through barriers that once seemed impossible,” she said, grateful for the impact Seahawk donors have made on her student experience. “You have not only changed my life, but the lives of those around me. I hope to one day pay it forward, just like you have done for me.”
View the Scholarship Celebration photo gallery for a glimpse into the magic of this special evening of impact and connections. To learn more about how you can support donor-funded scholarships, or create your own scholarship, visit giving.uncw.edu.
Current and newly admitted UNCW students are encouraged to visit the UNCW Scholarship Manager platform to explore UNCW scholarship opportunities, application eligibility, requirements, and deadlines. The final deadline to apply for 2025-26 academic year scholarships is quickly approaching, with June 1 as the closing date. For additional information or questions regarding the scholarship application, contact the Office of Scholarships and Financial Aid.