Riverland Community College

ALICE’S STORY: WHY I GIVE

“There’s really nothing more important in the universe except love, first, and education, second,” responded alum and long-time donor, Alice Holst, after being asked why she gives to Riverland.

Alice describes herself as a long-time fan of Riverland. Out of high school, she attended a 4-year university but quickly realized she couldn’t afford it. She decided to move back to her hometown and transfer to Austin State Junior College (now known as Riverland Community College) due to the significantly lower tuition costs. Throughout college, Alice worked hard to pay for her education through working on campus and at a local bank.

Years after attending, Alice volunteered to help with Riverland Foundation’s first fundraising event – Dining for Dollars. There, she met a student whose story reminded her of her own. Because of the similar hardships Alice had faced as a student, she was inspired to make a gift towards the student’s education at Riverland – and the rest is history.

Alice has continued to be very active in the Riverland community as an alum and donor. She was named Riverland’s 2016 Distinguished Alumni Award recipient, is currently a Foundation Board Member, and has performed in many Riverland and Summerset Theatre productions. After being introduced to the banking industry during her time as a Riverland student, Alice has now had a career in banking for over 47 years.

As a successful alum, Alice believes that education is key no matter what future career someone has in mind. She wishes everyone knew about the great education and opportunities Riverland Community College offers its students – “When resources became more available for me to be able to support all sorts of endeavors, Riverland was definitely at the top of my list, because I think it just was one of the best kept secrets in Austin for a long time.”