Produced by: Office of Communications, Institutional Advancement
September 30, 2013
When 140 alumni and friends of St. John’s University came together for a day of golf at the Nassau Country Club, they were looking to do more than simply improve their handicap or shoot for that elusive hole-in-one. They were teeing off to support The Long Island Alumni Golf Outing Scholarship Fund, an initiative established in 1999 to provide financial assistance to some of St. John’s most deserving students.
This year’s event raised nearly $60,000 for this essential undertaking.
“The Alumni Golf Outing is incredibly important,” noted Scott A. Williams, Associate Vice President, Office of Alumni Relations, “because it brings back a large group of generous and supportive alumni. Without the resources that come in through this outing, many of the students who are looking to come to or stay at St. John’s wouldn’t have that opportunity. It’s a way to keep our alumni, the St. John’s family of yesterday, in touch with the students, who are the St. John’s family of today and tomorrow.”
As is traditional, each year the Alumni Golf Outing recognizes an outstanding alumnus for their long-standing connection to St. John’s. This year’s honoree was Anthony Giardina ’85C, a Corporate Bond Broker at Tullett Prebon Financial Services in New York City, who has made a gift to the University every year since his graduation in 1985.
“I’m really pleased, and still a little bit amazed, that St. John’s is honoring me,” he said. “I’ve loved the University from the very first day I came to campus, way back in the early 1980s. Things were a lot different then, but St. John’s has remained true to its mission and its commitment to students during all those years. Helping students is what tonight is all about, and it’s an honor for me to be a part of it.”
Supporting student scholarships strikes a responsive chord with many alumni, They remember what it was like to work their way through college, always wondering whether they would have enough money to pay their next semester’s tuition. It’s one of the main reasons why they identify so closely with the current students who are facing the same challenges that they did.
“Giving to student scholarships is something that really resonates for me personally,” remarked Sal LaGreca ’76CBA. “I had to work my way through college by holding down two jobs, so I know how difficult it can be to try to succeed and get through school. If today’s students can get some sort of help along the way, you can be sure that the people who come out for this great event are the ones who will try to do that for them. I always try to support what’s going on at St. John’s because I’m a firm believer in giving back.”
Many participants shared similar stories of what it was like for them as they struggled to divide their time between the demands of their academic coursework and the reality of having to find the means to pay all or part of their tuition. Unlike LaGreca, who grew up in Queens and was able to live at home to defray some of his college expenses, Lawrence Budd ’77CBA came from upstate New York to attend St. John’s. He was so eager to make sure that he had the resources to stay that he spent his first few days at the University looking for, and accepting, a series of part-time jobs.
“During my first week as a student I got three jobs, so I had my pick of how I could help to pay for my education,” he recalled. “It gave me some spending money and helped to take some of the financial burden for my education off my parents. I’ve always felt that if I could support St. John’s by reaching out and doing something for today’s students, it would be my way of showing my appreciation for the University that has always been, and always will be, a big part of my life. So here I am at this great Alumni Golf Outing, having a good time and sharing memories with old friends while we all do our part for St. John’s. What could be better than that?’
During the course of the post-golf reception and dinner, the alumni had a chance to meet some of the students who were directly benefitting from their generosity. Scholarship recipient Artiana Wynder ’16CPS was happy to express her appreciation to the donors who are helping her to realize her dream of a St. John’s education.
“I appreciate the fact that so many of the alumni who are helping to make my life a little bit easier are here,” she said. “I love that they’re so generous and so willing to give back to St. John’s. I never expected to receive this scholarship, and it was a wonderful surprise for me and my family. Meeting and speaking with the very people who made it possible is such an honor for me.”