Alumni build on Tina Cade's legacy

After 35 years of service as a mentor, adviser, counselor, and leader for all students, especially ones from underrepresented backgrounds, Tina Cade retired in February. Alumni are carrying on her legacy by coming together to help raise money to create an endowed scholarship in Cade’s honor.

Kimberly Bowers Rollins, ’05, said that she and Cade’s daughter, Camille Hammond, ’97, discussed the idea of a scholarship years ago in anticipation of Cade’s retirement. The plan was set in motion during a University of Richmond Black Alumni Network (URBAN) reunion in February to celebrate Cade’s widespread impact on campus. 

“Camille and I formed a fundraising committee to build out this effort, and we asked our peers to give back and spread the word,” said Rollins, former director of development for Goodwill of Greater Washington. “We were able to raise $50,000 in just three weeks.” 

More than $82,000 has been raised for the Dr. Tinina Q. Cade Scholarship Fund, which will be awarded annually, in perpetuity, to a deserving student with financial need. 

Rasheeda Perry, ’03, is one of 185 alumni who have supported the fund to date. As an undergraduate, she received a Cigna Scholarship (now the Oliver Hill Scholarship) through the Office of Multicultural Affairs (now the Student Center for Equity and Inclusion), led by Cade. Without this support, Perry would not have been able to afford her education, she said.

“Dr. Cade created a community for first-generation and multicultural students to feel safe and supported,” Perry said. “For me, giving back was a no-brainer. It was an opportunity to honor all the work she’s done and ensure that her impact carries on by helping future generations.”