Tradition never graduates. This may be a favorite saying commonly linked to college athletic teams, but here at Boston College, this may apply more appropriately to the 112-year-old endowed scholarship program that has been a component of the BC community since 1895.
At a school with a long-standing tradition of philanthropy, it is no real surprise that generation after generation of BC graduates continually donates, adding to the University's endowment, which climbed 14 percent in one year to the $1.65 billion mark in 2006 and was expected to rise another 20 percent by the close of that year. With BC's endowment on the rise, more money is available for financial aid and scholarships.
Along with these financial changes, however, the endowed scholars program has also seen a recent transformation that is more personal and human. Joanne Goggins, executive director of stewardship and donor relations, said the program has become more about making connections through the generations, and putting faces to dollar signs.
The program, managed by the Office of University Advancement, encourages student-donor relations now more than ever, and is more proactive in making such connections possible.
Aside from encouraging correspondence between students and their respective scholarship donors, the program holds two dinners, one in the fall that introduces students to the program and one in the spring, which allows students and their donors to dine together and share stories and memories of BC.
The fall dinner and reception honoring the endowed scholars was held Wednesday night in the Murray Room of the Yawkey Athletics Center. Thomas Lockerby, associate vice president of capital giving, welcomed students to the event and explained the new goal of the program as a "celebration of philanthropy" and one that creates a "unique partnership" between donors and scholarship recipients.
"It is a wonderful thing they're doing here, bringing us all together," said Rev. William McInnes, S.J., and chaplain of Alumni Spiritual Programs. "The endowed scholars program allows us to connect generous alumni to the people they support, going back to our generous Jesuit roots."
Over 700 BC undergraduates are recipients of an endowed scholarship annually. Dave Nuscher, director of advancement communications and marketing for the Office of University Advancement, said, "All BC financial aid recipients with a grant in their financial aid package are considered eligible for being matched with an endowed fund."
Scholarship recipients can be chosen for an assortment of reasons, such as a specific geographic region, BC school, or involvement in a certain student-athletics program. Preferences are typically designated by the donor. There are many endowed scholarships, however, that do not require the student to meet any designated recipient preferences, separating the endowed scholars program from every other BC scholarship program. It is the responsibility of the Office of University Advancement to match students to specific donor scholarships.
At the dinner Wednesday night, speakers included both a student scholarship recipient and a donor of one of the scholarships. Paul Astuto, a German and history double major and A&S '08, discussed his experience as a four-time recipient of the Paul R. Dean Scholarship. Having recently undergone the daunting job application process, Astuto noted that is it nice to be a part of this unique program, where, he said with a laugh, donors "actually respond back to you." He appreciated the power of correspondence and the opportunity to make a long-time connection with his donor, Jane Dean.
Carmel Shields, donor for the Thomas Murphy S.J. Scholarship Fund and BC '81, praised the program and the University for the "love of learning that is nurtured and encouraged at BC." Shields told the story of her uncle, Thomas Murphy, and how after he died it was a great experience for her and her family to be able to memorialize their beloved uncle through a program so closely intertwined with his personal life-long beliefs.
"I applaud the BC community for meeting the financial needs of such talented students and scholars," Shields said.
Of the 700 recipients, 150 attended the dinner, which Goggins said is a major turnout compared to last year. Every year, she said, the program seems to get bigger and bigger.
And while the money is the crucial benefit of the endowed scholarship program, Nuscher said in an e-mail, "Simply put, endowed scholarships open the doors to students who wouldn't otherwise be able to afford a BC education." Many students still find the program's emphasis on building new relationships has added tremendously to their BC experience over the years.
"I really think that BC is moving in a great direction with the endowed scholars program by emphasizing the student-donor relationship," said Jeff Lugas, A&S '08. "It has been a great experience for me to be able to express my gratitude directly in a letter each year rather than having no way to say thank you to the person who helps make my time here at BC possible."
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