Donors support student success at 2026 Scholarship Reception
The college’s annual scholarship reception celebrates donors who financially support University of Arizona students, reinforcing their academic success at the College of Engineering.
University of Arizona students gathered in the Grand Ballroom for the College of Engineering's annual 2026 Scholarship Reception, which celebrated donors who supported exceptional students with $1.8 million in scholarships.
Donors like Scott Sayles, a featured speaker at the event and the Sayles Advancement in Education Foundation representative, pay it forward to Wildcat engineers with financial backing and professional mentorship.
Sayles earned his bachelor’s degree in civil engineering from the U of A in 2000 and has spent more than 25 years building a career in design and construction. He volunteers with the ACEC-Arizona STEM Day events at the football stadium, the Engineering Council, the Civil and Architectural Engineering and Mechanics Alumni and Industry Council, and the National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying.
“I've met incredible people as an engineer and volunteer, learning both engineering and non-engineering skills that allowed me to give back scholarships and to facilitate even more future engineers,” Sayles said.
The Sayles Advancement in Education Foundation Endowed Scholarship supports undergraduate engineering students, and the Sayles Future Engineers Scholarship benefits incoming first-year students from Arizona.
“When we started the foundation in 2018, we started giving back to engineers who just need a little bit more assistance to get where they need to go, and it’s been incredibly rewarding to support them and celebrate their achievements,” he said.