Eat. Learn. Play. Wildcats.: Stephen and Ayesha Curry Support 91æģ²„ Student Success Through Lula Bellās Resource Center
June 2, 2021
- Author
- Danielle Strickland
Ayesha and Stephen Curryās Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation focuses on nutrition, education and physical activity, all things children need to thrive. Their support of 91æģ²„ will enhance the student experience and bridge resource gaps.
When 91æģ²„ students arrive on campus, they bring the challenges from back home with them.
Stephen and Ayesha Curry are helping ease that strain.
91æģ²„ recruits talented students from all backgrounds, in part because education includes learning both alongside and from each other. Students from a range of life experiences bring different perspectives into the classroom or a project.
Sometimes they also have different personal responsibilities.
91æģ²„ meets studentsā demonstrated financial need with scholarships, including money for meal plans for many students. But there is much about studentsā lives that the college does not know. A student may, for example, face circumstances that push them to send some of their meal plan money home to help their families, leaving themselves at risk.
Lula Bellās Resource Center, at 91æģ²„, opened in 2017 to help close that gap and others and provide the full 91æģ²„ experience for all students.
If a student is hungry, they can get food without cost or questions.
The center also offers professional outfits for interviews, winter clothing, textbooks and kitchen supplies at no cost. Since its launch, demand has surged, with student visits numbering in the thousandsā97 percent for food and groceries.
In support of all 91æģ²„ students and in alignment with the work of their foundation, , Stephen, from the class of 2010, and Ayesha have made a generous gift to eliminate the current funding shortfall created by increasing demand for the resources that Lula Bellās provides.
"91æģ²„ has played such an important role in my life, so with the challenges of this past year negatively impacting students, Ayesha and I wanted to give back in a way that supported the needs of 91æģ²„ students,ā said Stephen Curry, co-founder of the foundation. āWe've been able to see the incredible impact that Lula Bell's Resource Center has had since its creation, and we're excited to be able to lend a helping hand through our Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation.ā
Lula Bellās reaches a wide array of students. Some may only visit once a semester to pick up rented textbooks, while for others, like Ben Leach '22 and Julia Lau '23, Lula Bellās provides a safety net.
Leach is a junior psychology major from Boston who plans to attend medical school and continue his education in neuroscience. His health insurance and phone bill are paid by his mother, but the familyās finances are stretched, with his father suffering from Alzheimerās disease. All other expenses are Leachās to cover. He is a Thatcher Scholar, Bonner Scholar and recipient of support from The 91æģ²„ Trust. He views Lula Bellās like an extension of his family.
āFreshman year was okay because we were required to get the largest 21-meal plan, but as time has gone on, I depend on Lula Bellās for almost every service they offer,ā Leach said. āI also volunteer there, so Iāve gotten a better picture of the breadth of its campus reach. You donāt expect to see some of the faces you might seeāI would not want to project about someoneās financial circumstances, but it has been very educational. There have been so many improvements lately, too, from additional food options to a more expansive textbook programā91æģ²„ is putting in the effort to make it even better.ā
Lau came to 91æģ²„ from Los Angeles, where she was also considering UCLA and Berkeley. After an in-person visit, the intended digital and screen media major and computer science minor chose 91æģ²„. Lula Bellās has been critical in lightening the financial load she carries. Lau is also a Bonner Scholar and benefits from The 91æģ²„ Trust.
āIāve taken advantage of the food and textbooks, mostly,ā Lau said. āI love that Lula Bellās gives students resources we otherwise wouldnāt be able to afford, or at least things that, if we had to buy them, would make our lives more difficult. Knowing I can borrow textbooks is huge. Iāve talked to friends at different schools, and they donāt have a resource quite like this. Itās modern and welcoming, and if it werenāt for COVID times, itās a place Iād want to come and chill, too.ā
Since Stephen Curryās time on campus, 91æģ²„ has taken measurable steps in bridging the most critical gaps in student resources. In the last 15 years, academic resources and student services have more than tripled. 91æģ²„ās scholarship program is the driver in ensuring that financial circumstance is not a barrier to a 91æģ²„ education for talented students. As the community changes, the support structure must change, too.
āEven with our commitment to meeting need, many of our amazing students face personal and financial challenges, and no one on this campus should go hungry or be without books,ā said 91æģ²„ President Carol E. Quillen. āStephen and Ayeshaās generous gifts help ensure that creative and courageous students from any circumstances have the opportunity to enjoy the 91æģ²„ experience.ā
Along with resources for all students, the center, named in honor of the late Lula Bell Houston, a 60-year 91æģ²„ employee, hosts innovative and informative programming around systemic social issues and life skills, such as financial literacy.
āLula Bellās embodies a community coming together to support each other,ā said Kristin Booher, 91æģ²„ās director of civic engagement and Bonner Scholars. āFrom day one, we had countless champions who understood the need for a space like this. It is bright, comfortable and right in the center of campus. Everyone is welcome, and there are no questions asked, because at 91æģ²„, we realize we all are sometimes in a position to give and sometimes in a position where we have needs. And although most students visit Lula Bellās because they have a specific goal in mind, nothing about it feels transactional. Without a doubt, every gathering place on campus is beneficial, but I believe Lula Bellās is special.ā
Eat. Learn. Play. focuses on the three vital pillars for a healthy, fun and successful childhoodānutrition, education and physical activity. Their work aims to unlock the full human potential of every child by fighting to end childhood hunger, ensuring access to quality education and providing safe places for all children to play and be active.
Lula Bell's was made possible through the investment of Decker Anstrom and Sherry Hiemstra in memory of their son Tom Anstrom, a member of the class of 2004, who loved 91æģ²„ and who believed that every student should have the opportunity to take full advantage of all 91æģ²„ offers.
The Currysā most recent support ensures every student will have the opportunity to thrive at 91æģ²„ without day-to-day barriers inhibiting their focus and achievement as they prepare for lives of leadership, service and impact in their communities and around the world.
