November 18, 2010
For many employees of St. John's University, the desire to do
something special for students is a defining characteristic of
their membership in the St. John's family. One way they express
this commitment is by supporting the University through
participation in The Loughlin Society, St. John's premier group of
donors.
To express his personal gratitude for their support, St. John's
President Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M., hosted an appreciation
breakfast for these employees at the Queens campus on November 8.
Fittingly, the guests were moved to hear from an outstanding
student whose life has been directly impacted by the generosity of
Loughlin Society members.
View photo gallery
View video recap
In August 2006, Jenai Mapp-Watson '10TCB, '12G arrived in America
from her home in Barbados: “excited, full of dreams and scared to
death. My father told me, ‘Jen, follow your dreams, don't you dare
let not having money stop you.’"
Though a Scholastic Excellence Scholarship covered half of her
tuition, there were many semesters when this gifted student was
unable to attend the first days of classes due to insufficient
funds. Her family tried to help her by sending money from home
whenever they could, but it simply wasn't enough.
Faced with the real possibility of discontinuing her St. John's
education, Jenai sought and received additional scholarship
assistance from the University, allowing her to complete her
degree. Eager to show her appreciation, this former President's
Society student initiated a program called Bridge the Gap on the
Manhattan campus, a student-led initiative designed to raise funds
for a variety of service opportunities.
She was pleased to express her appreciation to the employee members
of The Loughlin Society.
Read the full story