St. John's News

A group of donors to the University had the opportunity to meet with some of the recipients of their generosity at a reception held on April 29. The first ever Scholarship Donor Reception was held at Marillac Terrace on the Queens campus and brought together those who have endowed scholarships and students who have received assistance from those scholarships.

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It was a special afternoon as more than 75 attendees enjoyed high tea and classical music from a duo of musicians. Students shared their appreciation for the opportunities offered them and enjoyed the chance to meet those who helped make their education at St. John’s possible. Manny Calderon ’07TCB sat with Rosalie and Roger Marti who founded a scholarship in honor of their son Michael Anthony Marti ’97CBA, a finance major who loved St. John’s and who was a victim of the attacks on September 11th. “My son was always the first to help someone and I feel like he is still helping,” said Mrs. Marti who gave Calderon a Mass card so that he would always have a picture of her son. “It’s a way for his memory to continue.” Calderon was touched and said it meant a great deal to him to be able to meet and talk with the couple to personally thank them. “It’s great that [Michael’s] legacy will keep going on for years and years to come,” he said.

John Clarke ’55CBA, ’57L teaches as an adjunct at the University and is also a donor. He said he viewed giving back as the least he could do. “I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for the Vincentians taking pity on a poor guy who said he needed help,” Clarke said. Donald Hazelton ’82CBA, ’86MBA, ’89L echoed that sentiment and added that he was delighted with the chance to speak with the students. “It’s always good to put a face to the recipient,” he said. “St. John’s gave me an opportunity for a great education and the chance to have a good life and I would like other people to have the same opportunities I have had.”

After opening welcoming remarks from University Provost Dr. Julia Upton, RSM ’73G, ’75G, three students took to the stage to share their personal stories of being scholarship recipients. Raymond DeVries ’07C, Mary Wassif ’08P and Keone Wilkie ’08TCB each spoke of what the donors’ generosity meant to them and pledged to do well. “Like Raymond and Mary, I too am moved with gratitude by what has been done for me, and I pray every day that I will never forget when it comes to be my time to do the same for someone else,” Wilkie said. “For me, it’s a matter of keeping the chain intact from one person to another, because unless someone like me who has received so much is able to pass that spirit along to someone else, everything stops right there.” President Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M. thanked those who attended for continuing the cycle of giving. “You believed in St. John’s, St. John’s believed in you and it all came together,” he said. “We count on these students to become instruments of change in a world that, I think we all agree, desperately needs changing. If they are to make a difference in the world – and they are – it is because you have made a difference in their lives.” The event concluded with a Mass held at St. Thomas More Church.

The current minimum funding level for an endowed scholarship is $25,000, which can be established through a one-time gift or a pledge paid over five years. There are several ways to fund an endowed scholarship including bequests, charitable remainder trusts and charitable lead trusts. To learn more about endowing a scholarship, please visit our information pages on scholarships and endowments.