Inside the debate chamber of Scharbauer Hall, Roach Honors students gathered for two high stakes debates, each lasting over 9 hours. At the end of each debate, students would make decisions that would carry real-world implications and impact lives across the Fort Worth community.
For students in the Giving and Philanthropy class, the debates mark the culmination of a semester’s work. After countless hours researching local nonprofits, listening to guest speakers share their experiences with evaluating and donating to organizations, and visiting community programs firsthand, students faced the final decision: which nonprofits would receive donations.
This semester the John V. Roach Honors College offered two sections of Giving and Philanthropy — one led by Ron Pitcock, the Wassenich Family Dean, and the other by Sarah Vartabedian, assistant professor of professional practice in the Roach Honors College. The course, as well as the extensive final debates, has been a signature part of Roach Honors for 15 years.
With each class given $100,000 to donate, students in each section had the opportunity to thoughtfully award funding to five local nonprofits who are making a meaningful difference across the Fort Worth community.
The week before finals, students returned to the same debate chamber. This time there were no heated debates, late nights or difficult decisions. Joined with them were representatives from six local non-profit organizations. The only task that remained was a celebratory one: each class would present gifts to the organizations they had thoughtfully selected.
One by one, each group took the stage to speak about the nonprofit they had chosen. They shared what inspired their decision, the impact they saw on the Fort Worth community, and why the organization’s work matters.
As each nonprofit received its award, the emotions in the room remained consistent: deep gratitude and genuine excitement for the opportunities these donations would unlock and the lasting difference they would help make.
The local non-profits and the amounts awarded:
Hope Farm — $55,000
Gill Children’s Services — $47,500
Methodist Justice Ministry — $37,500
DASH Network — $30,000
The WARM Place — $20,000
Cloud Covered Streets of Fort Worth — $10,000