It goes without being said that today’s student population endure great amounts of hardships to achieve their curricular goals. According to PBS, in the modern-day United States, nearly 40% of working Americans now hold a college degree. These days, obtaining a college degree is sought after by a large population of employers, and due to the demand, the price of obtaining a degree has been nearly tripled through the last couple of decades. In 2019, the average student graduates from a university carrying a surplus of $20,000 in debt. This causes huge setbacks for many young professionals trying to jump-start their careers. When the Gjergj Kastrioti Scholarship Fundraiser (GKS) reached out to RJ Logistics for a sponsorship opportunity, we didn’t hesitate to step in.
The GKS is a private, student ran organization that was established as a means to provide scholarship money to Albanian-American students attending Universities throughout the state of Michigan. Since they were established in 1999, they have been able to award over $200,000 of scholarship funds to hard-working and deserving students. Being as RJ Logistics is an Albanian owned company, we were happy to assist any way we could.
The night began at The Palazzo Grande located in Shelby Township. The students of the organization began networking with sponsors, thanking them for their contributions, and discussing their plans for the future. This was followed by a keynote speaker, a live song and dance performance, and a three-course meal. This gala served as one of the organization’s biggest events to date, raising over $20,000 to award 10 students who had an average GPA of 3.9. Many of the board members of this organizations were students whom the scholarship has benefitted in the past, and they contribute their free time to give back to the same community which gave them the extra push that they needed to complete their education. RJ Logistics had a group of team members on-site conversating with the students, giving words of encouragement, and sharing with them the history of our company.
We would like to thank the GKS Fundraiser for this amazing opportunity to give back to the community for a great cause. We hope that all the allocated funds make a difference in these student’s lives and that they go on to excel in their fields as young professionals due to the support of all the sponsors who want nothing but the best for their futures.
If you would like to know how you could become involved with the GKS Fund, please visit www.gksfund.org or email [email protected].
