Katherine G. Nelson

In 2017, Katherine G. Nelson (B.S.’93) and her husband, John R. Nelson Jr., Ph.D., an emeritus member of the VCU School of Business Foundation board, established the Katherine Gomez Nelson Scholarship Program in the VCU School of Business with a $100,000 pledge. The fund provides four scholarships annually to students who transfer to the VCU School of Business from community college and who demonstrate financial need.

The motivation to support transfer students at VCU came from a place of understanding, Katherine Nelson says. When she transferred to VCU from Reynolds Community College in 1991, the process was confusing, and she remembers feeling like it was up to her to navigate the challenges on her own.

“Transferring was intimidating,” Nelson recalls. “I want the students who receive our scholarship to know that someone else has been in their position and wants to help them feel supported in finding pathways to accomplish their goals.”

The state of Virginia does provide support for students transferring from the Virginia Community College System to a public university in Virginia, and VCU offers a limited number of VCCS Transfer Scholarships each year, but many students still need privately funded scholarships to supplement those awards. Scholarships like the Katherine Gomez Nelson Scholarship help VCU stay competitive in transfer student recruitment.