Two people posing for a photo at the Zonta Club Scholarship dinner
Two people posing for a photo at the Zonta Club Scholarship dinner

When Decoyia Patton decided to pursue higher education at Metropolitan State University of Denver, she knew the cost would be a factor.

“Once I transferred from Community College of Denver [after graduating], tuition went up,” said the Social Work major and mother of three. “My family is low-income, and without scholarships, college wasn’t accessible for me.”

Determined, Patton – who works as the health education and outreach assistant at the Health Center at Auraria scoured the University’s list of scholarship opportunities, applying to nearly a dozen; she was awarded two – that she knew of.

“They were a blessing that changed my trajectory,” Patton said. “I found hope knowing that people – even ones who don’t know me – wanted to support me and see me do well.”

Then, the first-generation student received an unexpected and confusing phone call from University Advancement’s Director of Donor Relations, Selene Figueroa, asking Patton if she would be attending the 2025 MSU Denver Annual Scholarship Dinner the following evening. She didn’t even know she’d been invited!

Come to find out, Patton had received one more scholarship through the Zonta Club of Denver Hershey Endowment from the Zonta Club of Denver. “It was very surprising,” she said. “Another blessing.”

Chartered in 1927 as a chapter of Zonta International, the Zonta Club of Denver has been a steadfast advocate of MSU Denver students since 1989, providing more than $245,000 in scholarship funds to single-parent students over the last 26 years. The endowment honors the life of Edna Jean Hershey, Ed.D., a Zonta Club of Denver member and Denver Public School teacher.

The Zonta Club of Denver has granted more than $2.5 million to projects in Denver – including the MSU Denver scholarship – funded in part by the group’s annual Day of Film, an event highlighting women’s stories through a film screening, discussion panel, brunch, and a silent auction.

MSU Denver’s mission aligns well with the club’s goal of supporting single-parent students as they work to improve their skills and achieve self-sufficiency. The hope is that the scholarship provides those students with a cushion against the day-to-day expenses that can grind them down as they chase their dreams on their own.

The scholarship Patton received from the Zonta Club of Denver is helping her pursue her dream of a career in social work.

“I want to connect people to resources, especially in Black and brown communities where there’s a heavy stigma surrounding mental health and social workers,” she said. “Representation matters.”

As Patton works toward earning her bachelor’s degree in spring 2026, jumping into the Master of Social Work Program that fall and completing her MSW the following spring, her heart is filled with gratitude for the generosity of others.

“I[Figueroa] hadn’t personally called, I wouldn’t have known about the dinner, and wouldn’t have gotten to meet Miss Pam (Staves, Zonta Club of Denver trustee) or Dr. Jo Bailey (associate dean of the College of Health and Applied Sciences),” Patton said. “It was a great opportunity to get to know more people. I haven’t done anything like that before – I loved it.”

“It’s all such a blessing.”

For more information about how you can support students at MSU Denver, contact a University Advancement staff member HERE.