Rue Family Scholarship Provides Financial Relief from COVID-19 Hardships
Kyle Patterson ’23 has always been an entrepreneur. In middle school, he was selling hand-crafted duct tape bows and bookmarks to classmates. Creating, designing, and fashion have always been a part of his DNA, so when his mom brought him to visit LMU as a prospective student, he knew this was the university where he could fulfill his passions.
“LMU fit every need that I wanted for college,” said Patterson. “I wanted to major in business and entrepreneurship and LMU has one of the top entrepreneurship programs in the nation. It’s also in the best location I can think of; to be in Los Angeles, knowing the connections I can make in this area was exactly what I needed in a college.”
Patterson had just finished one semester of his college career when COVID-19 hit. Living back in his hometown of Rancho Cucamonga, California, he and his best friend started dreaming and planning a body-positivity clothing line for women.
“We had this idea for a women’s clothing line aimed for our age group with a message about inspiring and empowering women,” Patterson explained. “LMU inspired me to create a socially responsible business. In the end, we hope to have a brand that includes a community working toward the betterment of everyone.”
Learning remotely has been a challenge for Patterson, but even harder was the decision to stay at LMU when some of his friends decided to take a gap year during the pandemic.
“I really struggled with my decision to possibly take a gap year, because it’s hard to stay motivated with Zoom classes,” he said. “My mom has been out of work for a lot of the pandemic, and if it weren’t for the Rue Family Scholarship, I wouldn’t be able to continue my education.”
The Rue Family Fellowship is just one of the scholarships established to help with the financial strain caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. In total, LMU’s generous donors have provided more than $1.6 million in support of students and families most affected by COVID-19 hardships.
As the first in his family to go to college, Patterson is grateful that he had the opportunity to continue his education and will be able to graduate with his friends.
“Neither of my parents attended higher education, so the whole process of applying for college and financial aid has been a learning experience,” he said. “Coming to LMU let me see more of the world and different walks of life, meet new people, and learn new things. A big thing I’ve taken away from LMU is what I’ve been taught about activism, and how to be better not only for myself, but also for my community. I wouldn’t have these incredible opportunities if it weren’t for the Rue Family Scholarship.”
To learn more about LMU student scholarships, visit here.