Sharing the UNI Experience With the Next Generation

We applaud R. Scott Johnson (right) and other alums who create scholarships to benefit worthy students like Taylor Donner (left).

On a beautiful autumn day last year, R. Scott Johnson returned to the UNI campus for the first time in over five years. He was at UNI to meet the recipient of an endowed scholarship he established for a student from Urbandale High School.

“Meeting my scholarship recipient was such a pleasure,” Scott says. “He was just a few months into his UNI experience. I appreciated sharing with him his awe and excitement of what lies ahead.”

For Scott, it was his own UNI experience and involvement in student organizations at UNI that shaped the trajectory of his life.

“Everywhere I felt a tremendous sense of community. I realized how much I enjoyed the college experience and the quality of life on campus, not just for students, but for professors, administrators, professional staff and members of the community. It led me to a career in higher education.”

Scott recently retired from the University of Arizona, where he served as the director of academic advising and student services.

“I see enormous value in the college experience. Not just in academics, which are very important, but in how that experience can change one’s life—exposure to a plethora of academic disciplines, social and cultural opportunities, and students of very diverse backgrounds. I’m grateful for the opportunity to help someone else get a college education, particularly someone who might not otherwise be able to do so without some financial assistance.”

We are honored that Scott has chosen to include the UNI Foundation in his estate plan to further grow the R. Scott Johnson Endowed Scholarship.