April 20, 2018
St. John’s University’s first Staten Island Campus Scholarship Dinner since 2007 raised more than $100,000 in scholarship funds for the University’s students on the Staten Island, NY, campus, especially those most in need.
Held in Nicotra’s Ballroom at the Hilton Garden Inn Staten Island on April 19, the dinner drew more than 160 guests, including benefactors, faculty, administrators, staff, students, alumni, and members of the St. John’s University Board of Trustees.
Conrado “Bobby” Gempesaw, Ph.D., President of St. John’s, thanked faculty, staff, and administrators for their “hard work and commitment in supporting our students and providing them the very best Catholic education here at Staten Island.” Addressing the students present, Dr. Gempesaw said, “You are the reason we are called a University. Your passion for learning and serving others inspires us to support this Scholarship Dinner.”
Since integrating Notre Dame College in 1971, Dr. Gempesaw said the Staten Island campus has graduated nearly 20,000 living alumni, with 80 percent still living in the greater New York region, and more than 40 percent still living on Staten Island. “Many of these alumni have become leaders in industry, government, and the nonprofit sector.” The first Staten Island Campus Scholarship Dinner was held in 1978.
“To this day, St. John’s University continues to provide a distinctive education based on its Catholic and Vincentian mission, and it also remains the only University on Staten Island,” observed James O’Keefe, Ph.D., Vice Provost, Staten Island campus, during his welcoming remarks.
Dr. O’Keefe noted that the Staten Island campus of St. John’s has been able to maintain a 94.7 percent freshman retention rate and offers financial aid to first-year, full-time, undergraduate students who enroll in a bachelor’s-level degree program. In the 2017–18 academic year, 95 percent of Staten Island students received $11.9 million in financial aid from the University.
“This gathering reflects our core values as a Catholic and Vincentian University,” Dr. O’Keefe observed, adding, “These efforts could not be sustained without special events like tonight. By removing financial barriers, scholarships make higher education and career goals easier to achieve. Your generous contributions make a difference.”
The Staten Island Campus Scholarship Dinner also serves as an opportunity for St. John’s to honor alumni and organizations with the Terence Cardinal Cooke Medal, which is presented to an individual or organization that has made significant contributions to the development and growth of the Staten Island campus. The honorees this year were
President/CEO of the Grand Central Partnership and a Commissioner on the New York City Planning Commission
Retired Administrator and Educator
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of LSC Communications
Accepting on the Foundation’s behalf was
James Kelly, Board Member of RCSF
Sharing a Legacy of Giving
Honorees described the impact St. John’s had on their lives. “St. John’s gave me a great education, which of course helped my career,” Mr. Cerullo observed. “I grew my leadership skills there, which became a foundation for my life. The Vincentian spirit was easy for me to live within as part of the St. John’s family. It taught me the importance of giving back and helping those most in need. That was integral to how my professional career developed. All roads lead back home, and I think of St. John’s as my home.”
Although he could not be in attendance, Cesar Claro ’89SVC, Executive Director of RCSF, noted his organization provides grants to not-for-profits of all kinds, primarily social service, education, and cultural institutions, and has provided more than $700,000 in grants to the Staten Island campus of St. John’s. An alumnus of St. John’s, Mr. Claro said, “I had a wonderful experience. When I recall those four years, the friendships I established stay with me today.”
“St. John’s will always have a special place in my heart,” observed Mrs. Howard, who noted that she met her late husband Joseph at the Staten Island campus. Mr. Howard passed away during the September 11 attacks, and his wife and family established a scholarship on the campus in his name. Mrs. Howard also served as an adjunct professor at St. John’s.
“I will do anything I can to help the Staten Island campus grow,” she said. “The Vincentian spirit and what I learned here made me the person I am today.”
Mr. Quinlan noted that Terence Cardinal Cooke “defended the defenseless, and my fellow honorees do the same. The scholarship funds (raised at the dinner) will bring a lot of good to some deserving students.”
Naveen Abdelwahab, a senior majoring in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology, and a member of the St. John’s University President’s Society, said the evening was important because it shines a light on the Staten Island campus and all of its good work. “It’s really inspiring to hear alumni share their stories.”
Another President’s Society member, History major Vincenzo DeRosa, said, “I’m a direct beneficiary of the generosity of those gathered here tonight. It is touching to see them come back years after graduation and still have that affection for the University. Whatever success I achieve after I graduate in May, I owe to St. John’s—and I’d like to pay it forward.”
Dr. Gempesaw said all of the evening’s honorees left the Staten Island campus with a strong sense of mission and the importance of giving back to the community. He added, “These individuals and organization have followed the legacy of St. Vincent de Paul through their service and generosity to those most in need.”