Gift: $500,000
Focus: Mentoring, retention, and success programs
“This gift reflects my own experience, so it feels really meaningful to me. I was a first-generation college student in the 1980s from Willingboro, New Jersey, an underserved community. I wasn’t sure I would be able to get through college. I was a commuter student, and I worked part-time jobs, receiving a few grants and scholarships along the way.
When you’re the only person in your family to go to college, sometimes the others don’t understand how you’re struggling or how hard it is. The scholarships I received meant everything; it was one less thing to figure out. More importantly, it meant that the college had my back.
Having had that support has since informed my own philanthropic decisions. I wanted to give to something that was important, and programs focused on mentoring, retention, and success felt right. There are so many complications that can get in the way of your education, like transportation or food insecurity. These may seem like small things, but they can really impact a student’s success. Students need to know that they have the ability to seek help, and I wanted to bolster the systems TCNJ has in place to support them.
And when the school backs you, there’s something special there. Knowing that there are people behind you is priceless.”
