“Faith & Hope has created opportunities for students of diverse socioeconomic backgrounds to come to Fordham, earn a world-class education, and seek employment,” said Susan Conley Salice, FCRH ’82, one of three campaign co-chairs and a first-generation college graduate herself. “These scholarships open doors to students who may not otherwise be able to attend, and give them the opportunity to transform their lives.”

The campaign raised $175,311,288 from April 2014 to June 2019, surpassing its original goal of $175 million. Donations funded existing scholarship funds and 197 new scholarship funds for students—including Fulbright scholars, community leaders, and first-generation college students.

“Scholarships are at the heart of Fordham’s mission, and are central to the Jesuit notion of service to the human family,” said Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. “Scholarships transform individual lives, of course, but in democratizing education and knowledge, they also help create a more just world and a more equitable society. I am deeply heartened that so many of our generous alumni and friends agree, and I am forever grateful for their openhearted and openhanded support.”

Breaking Records Across the University

The Faith & Hope campaign achieved historic results for Fordham. The 2017 fiscal year was the most successful single year of fundraising in the University’s history, at $75.8 million. This year, the University’s Development and University Relations (DAUR) division was recognized with a 2019 Educational Fundraising Award for sustained excellence in fundraising programs over the past three years, putting Fordham’s advancement effort among the top 90 colleges and universities in the nation.

At the 2019 Fordham Founder’s Dinner, nearly $2.6 million was raised for Faith & Hope—specifically the Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. It was the second-highest amount in the event’s 18-year history, with 100% participation from the Board of Trustees and the President’s Council. During the years of the campaign, the annual event raised nearly $12 million to support Founder’s scholars.

Nearly a million dollars was raised on Fordham’s third annual Giving Day last March—the most successful Giving Day to date. More than 3,000 participants—alumni, parents, students, faculty, staff, and friends of Fordham—raised $933,689 in 1,841 minutes. Most of the donations, which ranged from $1 to $100,000, came from the U.S., but some came from as far as Australia and the Philippines.

One of the campaign’s biggest accomplishments was the creation of the Maurice and Carolyn Cunniffe Presidential Scholars Program—one of the most selective merit scholarships available to Fordham students. Three years ago, the scholarship program was established through a $20 million gift from Maurice J. (Mo) Cunniffe, FCRH ’54, and Carolyn Dursi Cunniffe, Ph.D., UGE ’62, GSAS ’65, ’71. Over the next decade, it will fund a Fordham education—tuition, living expenses, internship, research, and study abroad opportunities—for dozens of talented students.

“Each year, Mo and I spend time with these students who are young stars with bright futures,” said Carolyn Cunniffe, a Faith & Hope co-chair. “We hope that they will contribute back to society far more than Mo and I can.”

Campaign co-chair Darlene Luccio Jordan, FCRH ’89, said Faith & Hope supported Fordham’s core values and identity.

“This campaign really went to the central mission of Fordham, which is our commitment to higher education and educating first-generation students, and keeping Fordham accessible, regardless of a student’s ability to pay,” she said.

Student Impact 

At the heart of the campaign were Fordham students and the donors who helped fuel their future.

In interviews and speeches spanning the past several years, students have described how a Fordham scholarship has changed their lives.

They talked about how a Fordham education helped shape their career paths. For some students, the University’s Jesuit values strengthened their Catholic faith, while others from different faiths said they felt welcome in the University community. Students also praised Fordham’s core curriculum, which encouraged them to connect with their neighbors in the Bronx. And they spoke about how Fordham helped them understand who they are and what legacy they want to leave behind.

Caroline Koenig, the daughter of seventh-generation French bakers, knew that attending Fordham would be a challenge. In high school, she experienced an injury that dashed her hopes of winning a college track scholarship. Fordham initially gave her a generous financial aid package, but it wasn’t enough. She was taking extra classes to graduate early and considering a commute from Connecticut to save money—that is, until she was awarded the Peter and Carol Howe Endowed Scholarship. It helped her land a summer internship at KPMG and identify her passion for forensic accounting.

“My parents taught me the value of hard work and holding onto your dreams. Because of them and because of Fordham, now I can follow my own,” Koenig said.

The campaign also made a college education possible for Fordham students who, in the face of overwhelming student debt, found it difficult to continue their education.

One of them is Muhammad El Shatanofy, the son of immigrant parents who dreamed of becoming a doctor. Throughout his time in Fordham’s neuroscience program, he wondered how he could pay for his undergraduate education without incurring debt. After all, he’d soon be paying for four years’ worth of medical school.

When he found out he was awarded the Founder’s Scholarship, which would pay for almost all his outstanding tuition costs, he was thrilled.

“It really has given me that extra motivation, so that now I just want to accomplish so much,” said El Shatanofy, who went on to mentor 12 high school students from disadvantaged high schools and volunteer at Mt. Sinai Hospital. “I have this drive to make other people happy that they invested in my education and my future.”

For many students, scholarships have left an emotional impact on their lives.

“There’s just no words I can give to express how thankful my family and I are. It takes a big load off our shoulders, and … I’m just so thankful because I wouldn’t be able to go to Fordham without you and apply to grad school,” Jeannie-Fay Veloso, GABELLI ’17, tells her scholarship donor, Robert D. Daleo, GABELLI ’72, in a campaign video. Seconds later, the two alumni embrace in tears.

What It Means to Give 

Faith & Hope’s scholarships were made possible through donations both big and small.

Among the campaign’s biggest donors, in addition to the co-chairs and their spouses, were Brian W. and Kathleen H. MacLean, both FCRH ’75; Susheel Kirpalani, LAW ’94; William J. Loschert, GABELLI ’61; Alice Lehman Murphy, the McKeon Family Foundation; Grace A. Dorney-Koppel, UGE ’60, and Ted Koppel; and Alex and Jean Trebek.

Many of them said they give back because they want to support the next generation of leaders and help families break out of the cycle of poverty through education. Some donors once stood in the same shoes as the students they now support.

“I came from a family where my father was a factory worker and my mother worked as a seamstress. I had two other brothers. So if I was going to do it, I was going to do it on my own—and my brother, too,” said Daleo, honorary campaign chair and chair of the Fordham Board of Trustees, who established a scholarship in his brother’s name. “We both went to Fordham. We both had scholarships, worked and paid our way. That scholarship helped me [and]  made the difference.”

Rosemary Santana Cooney, Ph.D., established a scholarship with her husband Patrick in recognition of her 42 years as a professor and associate dean at Fordham, her belief in generating a diverse student body, and her Puerto Rican heritage. Her scholarship will support minority students across Fordham.

“I was always aware that I was different—an outsider—because I tend to be dark, like my father. And I always worked extra hard because I figured as a woman and a minority, you had to work extra hard … I know, sympathetically, how hard these kids who try to make the transition are having to work. And I wanted to make sure that some of them were getting some help,” said Cooney.

For many donors, their Fordham experience gave them not only academic, social, and life skills—it showed them what they’re capable of.

“It’s taught me things about myself that I didn’t even know before,” said Sophie Scott, FCLC ’18, who studied journalism and now works as a production assistant at CNN. “Fordham literally showed me the world in a way I didn’t know possible, and a way I could fit into the world.”

Scott, echoing a sentiment shared by many donors, said she hopes to give that same experience to someone else.

“It literally brings me no greater joy than to think that someone else could be having that same experience—someone who, from a financial perspective, may not be able to,” said Scott, who serves as chair of the Young Alumni Philanthropy Committee at Fordham.

Faith & Hope marks the third of Fordham’s biggest campaigns since the early 1990s—a growing list of campaigns that are already transforming the world.

“It really is a win-win for both the donors and the students,” said Salice. “And ultimately, the world at large.”

Now that the University has successfully closed Faith & Hope, administrators and volunteers are planning for the launch of a new fundraising campaign that will be focused on enhancing the student experience and will include the construction of a new campus center at Rose Hill.

To read more success stories, visit the Faith & Hope campaign site.

For the students, it was a chance to express gratitude toward the people who helped make their education a reality. Thanks in part to their generosity, Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid is less than $10 million away from reaching its $175 million goal. And for the donors, the evening offered an opportunity to hear from the students whose lives were changed by their gifts.   

“It is through your giving that a difference is made in the lives of our scholars,” John R. Costantino, GABELLI ’67, LAW ’70, said to the donors in the University Club’s Main Dining Room. Then he and his wife thanked the younger guests—the students who had become more than just “scholarship recipients.”

“We have been to [their]  graduations, weddings, christenings, and had the good fortune to watch our scholars grow, mature, and succeed,” said Barbara Costantino. “In many ways, this is an extension of our family.”

A Dream Made Reality

This year’s student speaker was Elena Comas Wood, FCRH ’21, the recipient of the Jane M. Flaherty Scholarship. Today, Wood is a political science major and Arabic minor from San Antonio, Texas, who plans to pursue a career in public policy. But when she was a child, she had a different idea.

“I first declared my intention to be president at only 5 years old,” Wood said, to laughter from the audience. “This dream—the dream to be a catalyst for meaningful change—was born in my pre-K classroom where, between lessons on the alphabet and finger painting, my very first teacher taught us about India’s independence movement, the civil rights movement, and environmental activism.”

As she grew, so did her passion for public service. In high school, she served as under-secretary-general of external affairs at one of the largest student-led Model United Nations conferences in the country. Today, as a second-generation Mexican American, she mentors Latina middle school students through Fordham’s Club Amigas/Mentoring Latinas program. And last summer, as a policy intern for Texas State Representative Diego Bernal, she watched two of her policy memorandums become house bills to help homeless and hearing-impaired students.

“Representative Bernal frequently joked that they only brought me onto the team because he always wanted to go to Fordham,” Wood said. “But in all seriousness, it was Fordham’s widely recognized reputation for social interest, along with its network of professors, administrators, and alumni, that made each of those opportunities possible.”

There was one more “instrumental” factor: the Jane M. Flaherty Scholarship.

“Earlier this year, my parents and I had a frank discussion about whether or not I would be able to finish my undergraduate degree at Fordham,” Wood said. “I am quite literally in front of you today, a Fordham student, thanks to the Flaherty Scholarship. It is because of you that I do not have to choose between affordability and my dreams.”

The Woman Behind the Scholarship

Jane M. Flaherty, who passed away last February at age 71, never attended Fordham. But she had great love for the University.

“She spent a lot of time here with me while we were dating, before we got married,” said her husband James P. (Jim) Flaherty, FCRH ’69, a Fordham trustee. “We got engaged the night of our senior prom.”

Jane Flaherty was a native New Yorker who was devoted to her husband, children, and 10 grandchildren. She was proud of her Catholic education, and the education her husband received at Fordham. There were two University events she really loved, said her husband: the annual Festival of Lessons and Carols at the University Church and this scholarship reception.

“They would give her a table, but they’d have 10 people around it, and she’d be surrounded. And I would just leave, ’cause I wasn’t serving any purpose,” Jim said, smiling as he recalled the memory.

For Jane, it was always a delight to speak with her scholars face-to-face at the annual reception.

“When I meet my students, I’m filled with joy,” Jane Flaherty said at the 2016 event. “It’s like I’m meeting my children.”

Finding Fellowship in STEM and Life

Mary Jane F. McCartney, TMC ’69, has met many student scholars. But Sophie Cote was the first one who Googled her before they met in person.

“I discovered that at Con Ed, she was the first female in like four different high-level positions, and I just think that’s the coolest thing ever,” gushed Cote, a first-year math and economics student at Fordham College at Rose Hill interested in the technology and energy sectors. “And this is really similar to what I want to do with my career.”

Cote isn’t a recipient of any of McCartney’s scholarships. She is a Cunniffe Presidential Scholar who was impressed by McCartney’s resume and met her at the reception.

McCartney also spoke with one of her scholarship recipients, Rodolfo Keesey, FCRH ’20, an integrative neuroscience student whose research includes gene expression and 3D printed prosthetic hands. A few weeks ago, McCartney and Keesey first met at the Rose Hill undergraduate research symposium. Recently, she helped him secure an undergraduate research grant for this summer, he said.

“We’re all STEM people,” Keesey said, turning toward Cote and McCartney. “It’s great!”

A few paces away, Bob and Sue Stone, PAR ’15, were engrossed in conversation with the recipient of their scholarship, Robert Magrino—a Gabelli School of Business junior studying business administration.

“We come to this event every year. Rather than writing a check, which is easy to do in terms of time, coming here is a chance to find out where the money is going and if it’s helping,” Bob Stone said. “And clearly, it is.”

“The way they were talking to me, they made it seem like I could go to J.P. Morgan or Morgan Stanley,” Magrino said in a private conversation. “Hopefully, that will come true.”

A Toast to Fordham

As the evening drew to a close, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, lifted his glass and announced a three-part toast.

“I propose a toast first to the students, whose hopes give us great joy, who point us to the future and make us smile and make us young again,” he said. “To the young saints.”

“Hear, hear,” the audience answered.

Father McShane dedicated his second toast to the “mature saints” who make it possible for the young saints to shine. His final toast, however, was for the 178-year-old institution that had brought them all together.

“That place where talent is tested, character is nurtured, and hope is born in every generation,” Father McShane said, raising his glass to the sculpted ceiling. “To Fordham.”

“To Fordham,” they echoed.  

The all-day summit drew about 250 alumnae, students, faculty, and friends to Fordham Law School for a series of keynote speeches, forums, pep talks, networking breaks, and even a five-minute yoga session. But more than that, it was a chance for them to gather in the same room and discuss something they all had in common: how much Fordham meant to them.

The Power of Philanthropy

One of the first speakers was Gabelli School junior Arnell Stewart, who explained how alumnae donations directly impacted her life.

When Stewart’s older brother died suddenly last year, the family faced financial hardship. But with the help of two women—Stewart’s CSTEP counselor Tiffany House and Christina Seix Dow, TMC ’72, who established the Fordham scholarship Stewart received—she knew she could continue to attend college.

“This was the first good thing to happen to my family since the tragedy,” Stewart said, fighting back tears.

“Because of this blessing and Ms. Seix Dow’s generosity, I can stand here before you today as a member of the Fordham community, but also as one of the strong leading ladies here in this room today.”

How Do You Begin?

Many of the day’s speakers acknowledged that for women, pride in one’s wealth and success—and the power they bring—has not always come naturally.

“Some women feel uncomfortable with the idea of wealth. For men, for generations, it’s been culturally and socially acceptable—generally speaking—to be okay with that idea of, ‘I’m wealthy. I’m rich,’” said Veronica Dagher, GABELLI ’00, ’05, a senior wealth management reporter at The Wall Street Journal and a panelist at the summit. “For women though, in general, that’s been frowned upon.”

So for many, thinking about philanthropy has not been top of mind. But guests gained some insight on how to take their first steps toward giving from the day’s first keynote speaker, Harriet Edelman, GABELLI ’80, Vice Chair of Emigrant Bank—the largest privately held, family-owned-and-run community bank in the nation. Her advice: first pinpoint what you’re passionate about, consider how you want to donate—alone versus with “like-minded souls,” establish a budget, learn how to say no, and research possible organizations through sources like Charity Navigator.

And while she acknowledged that differences between men and women may be part of the day’s discussions, it wasn’t a critical point of focus for her.

“What matters,” Edelman said, “is why you give—why one gives; and, based on the fact that you are here, it means we have a common desire to be intentional and responsible, and share a common interest in the success and sustainability of Fordham.”

Kirsten N. Swinth, Ph.D., associate professor of history and American studies at Fordham, spoke about societal challenges for women in her keynote, “Women Organizing for Change: Feminism’s Forgotten Fight for Work and Family.”

“We are one of two nations in the entire world that does not have [mandatory] paid maternity leave,” Swinth. “Our companion in that status is Papua New Guinea.”

Swinth said that women can take action by joining or creating groups like giving circles, building workplace networks and unions, getting more involved with the government, protesting when necessary, and, perhaps most difficult of all, prioritizing the “collective restructuring of society.”

At the keynote panel session Women’s Giving: How Women Accumulate and Distribute Wealth, panelists discussed how women are achieving parity in the United States.

“Right now, in the United States, 39 percent of the top wealth holders are women. Forty percent of U.S. households have a female breadwinner. And 45 percent of the millionaires in the United States are women,” said the panel’s moderator, Elizabeth S. Zeigler, GSE ’00, CEO of Graham-Pelton Consulting.

And at Fordham, thousands of women possess potential financial power—perhaps more than we think.

“More than half of Fordham’s living alumni are women,” said Martha K. Hirst, Fordham’s senior vice president, CFO, and treasurer. “Which means together with the women among the University’s friends, faculty, administrators, staff, and other supporters, our collective impact potential on the University we love is boundless.”

Having It All: A Career, Love, Family, and Happiness

One of the day’s most popular panels was Work/Life Balance at Every Stage of Your Life, a forum where women traded stories about how they balance their careers with everything else: motherhood, romance, and “me time.” They acknowledged that women often feel that others have a better handle on the balancing act than they do.

“We live in a day and age where you can constantly be bombarded with the ‘perfect’ [on social media] and somebody else who appears to be doing it better than you’re doing it. You have some sort of imposter syndrome. And why is that? You’re doing so well. You’ve achieved so much so early in your career. Why would you think that that’s not success?” said Beth Savino, GABELLI ’03, a partner in asset management practice at PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Marianne Cooper, FCRH ’77, a managing director at IBM who is a breast cancer survivor and the mother of a child with special needs, noted that priorities shift with age. And, she said, it’s important to take stock of what you will leave behind.

“What do you want to get out of your life?” asked Cooper. “When you go on, hopefully, up to heaven, how do you want to be remembered by your family, friends, and colleagues?”

Finding Meaning in Giving

Alumnae held a candid conversation about the spirituality behind giving at Keeping the Faith: Engaging the Next Generation in Conversations of Spirituality and Service, a panel moderated by Christine Firer Hinze, professor of Christian ethics and director of the Curran Center for American Catholic Studies at Fordham. 

“Beyond the huge terrible things that are going on in the world today, there are day-to-day tragedies and heartbreaks. You can feel overwhelmed, like nothing you can do makes a difference,” said Anne Conroy, FCRH ’79, director of development and communications at the Center for Family Representation. “By being involved—whether it’s a faith community, a social justice opportunity, whether it’s giving to nonprofits or volunteering—my experience has been doing those things makes me feel less alone; it gives me a sense of hope and optimism. And as a Christian, I feel more connected to God.”

The day’s closing keynote speaker, Anne L. Williams-Isom, FCLC ’86, CEO of Harlem Children’s Zone, talked about meaningful opportunities that giving can provide. She urged all the women in the room to consider how they could help others achieve the American dream. Williams-Isom, the daughter of a single mother from Trinidad and Tobago, acknowledged that it’s difficult—but not impossible.

“I know you guys don’t want to hear about ‘stretching beyond your reach’ because everybody feels like they’re pulled to their limit,” said Williams-Isom, who serves on the University’s President’s Council and works to end generational poverty in Harlem by providing high-quality education and social services to children and families. “I’m here to tell you that you haven’t even begun to touch all the potential that is inside of you.”

Honoring the Past, Looking Toward the Future

The summit honored a group of women who have supported Fordham students in various ways. Receiving the Pioneering Woman in Philanthropy Award were Mary Higgins Clark, FCLC ’79; Rosemary Santana Cooney; Eugenie F. Doyle, M.D., MC ’43; Christine Driessen, GABELLI ’77; Brenda L. Gill, LAW ’95; Alice Lehman Murphy; Frances K. Reid; Margaret Mary (Peggy) Smyth, FCRH ’85; and Valerie Torres, FCRH ’83, GRE ’01, ’08.

Doyle, a retired professor of pediatrics and director of the division of pediatric cardiology at the New York University Medical Center, was a pioneering practitioner of using open-heart surgery to save babies with a rare disorder: “blue baby syndrome.” She and her late husband, Joseph, established two scholarships that benefit pre-health students at Fordham.

“You have quite literally changed the world, one baby and one student at a time,” Justine Franklin, senior director of development at Fordham, said to Doyle. “And have shown all of us how working for the common good is truly life-giving.”

The second summit also recognized Fordham’s six new giving circles—groups of individuals who donate money to a pooled fund and collectively decide how the money should be spent—that were established at last year’s summit. In just a year, the circles have raised more than $400,000 in Fordham scholarship funds.

“Joining a giving circle is a great first step in the start of your charitable giving journey,” said Susan Conley Salice, FCRH ’82, a University trustee and co-chair of Fordham’s Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid. “By raising money as part of a fundraising group, your giving impact is that much more powerful and allows for you to connect with others who share your unique passion for helping Fordham educate more deserving students.”

Last year’s inaugural Women’s Philanthropy Summit raised almost half a million dollars. Donations for this year’s summit are just starting to come in. But perhaps more important than dollar amounts is the question of how to educate the next generation of philanthropists, said one alumna.

“How are we ensuring that the next generation of leaders are being cultivated with a love of community, a heart for justice, and a heart for servant leadership and love of neighbor?” asked Laura Risimini, FCLC ’10, GSAS ’13, foundation manager of the Sister Fund. “And what are we doing to make sure that the next generation—which is going to be taking the reins of leadership soon in the next couple of decades—is prepared?

“Our future literally depends on it.”

Complete bios of all speakers, panelists, and honorees can be found here.

And next month, it’s happening again.

Fordham’s second annual Women’s Philanthropy Summit will be held on Oct. 24. It’s an all-day affair at the Lincoln Center campus, starting at 7:30 a.m. Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, will welcome guests at 8:15 a.m.; he’ll be followed by a scholarship student and the first keynote speaker. There will be three keynotes over the course of the day: Harriet Edelman, GABELLI ’80, vice chair of Emigrant Savings Bank; Kirsten Swinth, Ph.D., an associate history professor at Fordham and author of the forthcoming Feminism’s Forgotten Fight: The Unfinished Struggle for Work and Family; and Anne Williams-Isom, FCLC ’86, CEO of the Harlem Children’s Zone and a staunch advocate for quality education in communities of color. Drawing on their own success, they will be sharing personal stories and advice on how women can use their time, talent, and money to make a difference.

In between keynotes, attendees can attend panel discussions that deal with women in the workplace and in philanthropy. They’ll hear success stories from accomplished women, figure out how to balance work and life from their early twenties to retirement, become comfortable with speaking freely about finances, understand how to make philanthropy meaningful, and learn how to be leaders.

“Part of what’s important for women and women’s development,” said Edelman, “is leadership, not only in terms of your professional life, but your full life.”

And for young women, Edelman said, self-assuredness is key.

“I’m so impressed with this generation,” she said. “Sometimes they tell me the situation, and I just ask what they think they should do next, and they’ve got it. They just need to hear themselves speak it.”

At its core, the summit revolves around three concepts: control, confidence, and courage. It’s about women taking ownership of their lives, their money, and their charity; building leadership skills; and questioning the old way of doing things.

“Women want to trust, to form a relationship, to have a conversation, to really understand the story and the purpose and the outcome of what their giving is for,” said Mary Lou Quinlan, GABELLI ’82, a keynote speaker at last year’s summit. “It’s about being part of a community and understanding how we, uniquely and collaboratively, can have a real effect.”  

The summit ends around 5:30 p.m. with a networking reception. Visit the event webpage to learn more and register.

“I’ve been very lucky in life,” he says, “including who I married.”

The O’Briens met in the mid-1960s at Fordham’s undergraduate business school in Manhattan, then located at 302 Broadway, and each earned a B.S. from the University in June 1968.

This spring, as they prepare to celebrate their Fordham Jubilee, their first as Golden Rams, they have been reflecting not only on their undergraduate days but also on the shared values that brought them together and inspire them to give back to their alma mater.

An Interborough Connection

Annette grew up in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn, part of a large extended Italian-American family; Dan was the oldest of seven children in a large Irish-American family based in Manhattan and New Jersey. They both went to Catholic high schools and were encouraged to attend a Catholic college.

At Fordham, they served together on the student council, but they didn’t begin dating until their senior year. A friend of Dan’s was dating one of the few other women in their class and suggested a double date. Dan asked Annette. “It grew from there,” he says.

That December, Dan started a six-week internship that took him away from campus, but he and Annette stayed in touch by letter, a method that may have added a tinge of romance to their blossoming relationship.

“That’s how the seed got planted and maybe kindled the spirit in both of us,” Dan says. By the time he came back to campus, “in the spring, we were steady.”

They found a lot of common ground, especially in the important role family played in their lives. “We just felt we came from the same kind of background and had the same goals and the same ideas,” Annette says of their connection.

In fall 1968, just a few months after graduating from Fordham, they selected an engagement ring together, and Dan proposed on a bench outside of Tavern on the Green, where they had gone for dinner.

Soon after, Dan, on the cusp of being drafted, decided to try to get into the Army Reserve. He was accepted later that year and served for six years, during which time he and Annette were married—at Annette’s family parish, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Brooklyn, in December 1969.

“We’ve always been on the same page in terms of where things go. We swim in the same direction,” Dan says of their marriage. “Our strengths and weaknesses complement each other. If we get angry, it doesn’t last. It just works, and we are happy about it.”

Reconnecting with Their Roots, Supporting Students

Over the years, their shared focus on family has been a key to their joy. The O’Briens have four daughters, and the couple hosts an annual Christmas Eve dinner that includes more than 50 family members in their Ridgefield, Connecticut, home.

They also have been running together for about 35 years, and typically compete in three or four half-marathons every year across the country, including ones in Georgia, Florida, and California.

The O’Briens admit that it took them 40 years before they re-engaged with their alma mater—at a time in their lives, Dan says, “when making connections to the past feels important.”

About 10 years ago, after meeting Fordham’s president, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., the couple established an endowed scholarship to help future generations of Fordham students.

“I always felt that I should give back to the school,” Annette says. “I liked being there, and I got a good education. I feel happy about giving back and helping kids, too.”

Like Annette, Dan says he’s “very happy to be reconnected.” In addition to providing scholarship support, he serves on the President’s Council, through which he mentors students and discusses his role as an adviser at J.H. Whitney & Co. in New Canaan, Connecticut.

“There is a great Fordham family throughout the country, and by reconnecting, you feel part of that again,” he says. “They extended their hand to me, and I’m happy to be back.”

—Maja Tarateta

“We are so proud of all of the students who worked with us this year, especially the graduates of 2018,” said John Kezel, Ph.D., director of the Campion Institute, which helps Fordham students apply for prestigious scholarships and fellowships. “We are also delighted that so many alumni decided to come back and work with us to achieve their dreams.”

Kayla Matteucci is the first Fordham student to be selected as a James C. Gaither Junior Fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a global think tank with centers around the world. She was one of 12 students chosen out of hundreds of applicants. The yearlong fellowship in Washington, D.C., which will focus on nuclear policy, will allow Matteucci to advance the research interests she developed as an intern at Fordham Law’s Center on National Security.

“I was doing research related to counterterrorism and cybersecurity, and there’s a lot of overlap with nuclear policy,” said the international relations and Spanish major, who is graduating from Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Matteucci is currently interning with two nongovernmental organizations at the United Nations, where she focuses on disarmament. In April, she traveled on a Fordham-funded trip to Geneva for the U.N. Preparatory Committee meeting for the 2020 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, attending as part of a youth delegation.

“It was clear that states are preparing for the eventuality of cooperation on  disarmament,” she said. “With dialogue lacking in most political spaces—even the nuclear field is quite partisan—it is exciting to see people searching for common ground.”

Sean McKay is graduating from Fordham College at Rose Hill, but he will be celebrating in Rio de Janeiro, where he is studying Portuguese on a Boren Scholarship. And McKay has even more reason to celebrate: This year he won a Fulbright, which he expects will have him returning to Brazil to teach English. He’ll also be required to design a community engagement project, and has proposed starting a creative writing workshop where students will offer constructive criticism and share Brazilian and American media for inspiration.

“The idea comes directly from the creative workshop classes taken at Fordham as part of my creative writing minor,” said McKay.

Upon completing the Boren, McKay should be well prepared for his Fulbright teaching position; this past year he has been studying Brazil’s language and literature.

“I had learned Spanish and there was linguistic crossover with Portuguese, but I had never heard of, or engaged with, plays, short stories, and fiction of Brazil,” he said. He has also noticed similarities in Brazilian and American identities, which he would not have been aware of had he not immersed himself in Brazil’s “vibrant and rich culture.”

“In its core, the Fulbright means growing your sense of empathy to build deeper relationships with communities that Americans don’t often directly engage with,” he said.

Olivia Korth graduates today from the Gabelli School of Business with a concentration in entrepreneurship and a double minor in sustainable business and environmental studies. After winning a Newman’s Own Fellowship, she will have the opportunity to combine all of her interests while helping underserved communities. Korth will be getting in on the ground floor of a new nonprofit called Wholesome Wave, a food equity company that seeks to salvage and sell fruits and vegetables that are deemed unattractive by consumers and supermarkets but are perfectly fine nutritionally. Newman’s Own will pay her salary.

“I’ll be working with a team of four for one year. We hope to grow the number of grocery chains that carry the food from five to 15,” she said. “The stores are near farms in the Appalachian region of Virginia, an area that has high rates of poverty, obesity, and diabetes.

She added that she had just been talking about the “ugly food” movement in one of her classes a day before she interviewed for the position, so she felt well versed in the subject.

“I had already worked in the realm of sustainability, all my classes touch on it, so I felt like everything just came together,” she said.

As of May 10, other prestigious awards won this year include:

• In addition to Sean McKay, six Fulbright awards: Shay Chang, FCLC ’18, to South Korea; Margaret Fahey, FCRH ’18, to France; Elodie Huston, FCLC ’18, to Germany; Israel Muñoz, FCLC ’17, to Mexico; Melani Shahin, FCRH ’18, to Germany; and Luca Vettori, FCLC ’18, to Jordan
• One Luce Scholarship: Nikolas Oktaba, FCLC ’15
• One Rangel Graduate Fellowship: Erik Angamarca, FCRH ’14
• One Coro Fellowship: Taina Quiles, FCLC ’18
• One National Science Foundation Research Experience for Undergraduates award: Sunand Raghupathi, FCRH ’20
• One New York City Teaching Fellowship: Mayarita Castillo, FCLC ’16
• Three Gates Millennium Scholarships: Amarachi Korie, FCLC ’18; Yota Oue, FCRH ’18; and Anisha Pednekar, GABELLI ’19
• One White House Internship: Victoria Pascullo, FCRH ’19
• Three Boren Fellowships: Michael Johnson, GSAS ’19; Robyn J. Murray, GSAS ’19; and Jessica Way, GSAS ’19

It’s a return to roots for the acclaimed actor, who in December 1975 made his New York stage debut in a Fordham Theatre production of another O’Neill play.

“You know, my first role on stage, when I was a student at Fordham, was in The Emperor Jones,” he recently told the Times. “I’ve always loved O’Neill. And here I am, 40 years later, coming back to him in Iceman.”

Back on Campus

Washington, who has been nominated for a 2018 Tony Award for best actor, also recently returned to Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus. On a Friday last April, he surprised some students in the Lowenstein Center cafeteria and on the plaza after sitting down in Pope Auditorium with CBS News reporter Michelle Miller.

In an interview broadcast April 29 on CBS Sunday Morning, Miller talked with the star about his four-decade film and stage career, which includes two Oscars, one Tony, and a Golden Globe for lifetime achievement.

“I just do what I do,” he said. “I don’t analyze it, I don’t overanalyze it, I try not to read about what other people think I’m doing. It’s not that precious to me. I’m just doing what I know how to do and what I love to do.”

DENZEL WASHINGTON JUST SHOWED UP AT @FordhamNYC TODAY! @FordhamAlumni pic.twitter.com/dzMNIjFPmT

— Mary Todd Lincoln’s Whiskey Barrel (@ArmandoGJR) April 13, 2018

The quality that sets Washington apart, according to George C. Wolfe, director of the Broadway revival of The Iceman Cometh, is his ability to use “all his skill set to disappear inside of the characters.”

“I think there are a number of actors who we go to see who are enjoyable and compelling, and you’re seeing them play this role and this role and this role, and they don’t disappear,” Wolfe told Miller. “I think he surrenders to his characters in an extraordinary way.”

‘Watching This Generation Take Off’

Miller reminded Washington of comments he made nearly two decades ago regarding the relative lack of opportunities for black actors. “I see how the playing field is laid out, and it’s not level, you know; it’s not fair. You can still bump your head, you can go but so far,” he told CBS News’ Ed Bradley in a 2000 interview on 60 Minutes.

When Miller asked Washington if things have gotten any better today, he noted the tremendous box-office success of the film Black Panther. He also reflected on his own standing as a role model, particularly for younger generations of African-American actors.

“I’m proud as a father might be,” he said. “I’m not finished the race, but I feel like I’ve passed the baton. When you run a relay race, when you hand the baton off, you still run about 20, 30 yards behind the next person. So I’m still running, but I’m enjoying watching this generation take off.”

Miller noted that Washington is in a position to help others in his field. “You’re a producer, you’re a director, you hire people—that’s power,” she said.

“That’s opportunity,” he responded, “the opportunity to give others opportunities.”

Which is something Washington has been doing at his alma mater for a long time. In 2011, he established an endowed scholarship fund and an endowed chair to offer Fordham Theatre students positive influences, like the kind he received from his Fordham mentor, Robinson Stone, who once predicted that Washington’s talent would be “among the most exciting and fulfilling of our time.”

Washington’s example and his unassuming generosity are not lost on Eric Lawrence Taylor, the current recipient of the Denzel Washington Endowed Scholarship.

“In a very cool, non-publicity-seeking way, Denzel Washington has been mentoring artists of color for a long time and really providing space for a lot of us to succeed,” said Taylor, a Fordham College at Lincoln Center senior. “I would not be here right now without this scholarship,” he added, noting that by supporting Fordham students, Washington has shown that he has “not forgotten where he came from.”

The Iceman Cometh recently began a 14-week run that ends on July 1, shortly before Washington’s next feature film, The Equalizer 2, opens in theaters nationwide.

A group of Fordham alumni, faculty, and friends is planning to attend the May 10 performance of the play. The event, which includes dinner before the show, is currently sold out, but there is a waiting list. More info here.

Watch the Sunday Morning interview.

In March 2017, during the University’s yearlong 175th anniversary celebration, Fordham launched Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid, an effort to raise $175 million to help make a Fordham education more affordable for the best and brightest students. Alumni, parents, and friends of Fordham responded by making the 2017 fiscal year the most successful single year of fundraising in the University’s history. As of April 2018, Fordham donors have contributed more than $131 million toward the $175 million goal, creating more than 130 new scholarships for students.

Here are some of the people who have benefited from and supported the campaign.

The Denzel Washington Scholars

“In a very cool, non-publicity-seeking way, Denzel Washington has been mentoring artists of color for a long time and really providing space for a lot of us to succeed,” says Eric Lawrence Taylor, a Fordham College at Lincoln Center senior and current recipient of the Denzel Washington Endowed Scholarship.

“I would not be here right now without this scholarship,” he adds, noting that by supporting Fordham Theatre students, the acclaimed actor shows that he has “not forgotten where he came from.”

Washington graduated from Fordham in 1977 and has long been a champion of Fordham students. In 2011, the Oscar and Tony award winner established a scholarship fund and an endowed chair to offer students positive influences, like the kind he received from his Fordham mentor, Robinson Stone, who once predicted that Washington’s talent would be “among the most exciting and fulfilling of our time.”

Taylor is the seventh recipient since 2012, when MaYaa Boateng became the first.

“The scholarship gave me a beautiful sense of hope and encouragement to stick to that thing which I love,” says Boateng, who recently met up with Taylor and four other past Denzel Washington Scholars on the Lincoln Center campus. They expressed deep gratitude for the generosity of someone they consider a role model, and for the mentorship they’ve received from Fordham faculty.

Boateng says Washington’s support has created a resounding buzz about Fordham Theatre among students and faculty, not to mention casting directors. “It just felt like a huge shift in this program,” she says. “And I felt a sense of electrifying energy.”

Armando Nuñez: Media Executive Pays It Forward

As a Fordham business student, Armando Nuñez, GABELLI ’82, took the D train to Rose Hill from his home in Manhattan’s Hell’s Kitchen. Today, when he comes to town from Los Angeles, the president and CEO of CBS Studios International looks out over his old neighborhood from the company’s 30th-floor New York executive offices.

“I don’t think you can realize how fortunate you are when you’re getting a quality education. … It can take years to realize the benefits,” says Nuñez, adding that his father, a Cuban immigrant who worked in the media business, was a big proponent of Jesuit education.

“The moral compass the Jesuits instill in you, the idea of being men and women for others—that drives me to do what we do for our scholarship students,” Nuñez says. He established the Nuñez Family Scholarship Fund to help give Gabelli School of Business students the same opportunities he had, and he hopes its recipients “go out to change the world—and give back themselves.” Several students receive the scholarship each year, including eight in 2017–2018.

Nuñez, a Fordham trustee, has also boosted Fordham’s presence in California—one of Fordham’s largest feeder states—by hosting high-profile events, including a tribute to sportscaster Vin Scully, FCRH ’49, held on the set of CBS’s Entertainment Tonight. He hopes the events “show prospective students and parents how incredible Fordham is, and encourage alumni to stay connected and give back.”

Jessica Kar: A Vibrant Community with Jesuit Values

When Jessica Kar heard that Fordham had awarded her a Susan M. Wallace Memorial Endowed Scholarship, she felt that a huge weight had been lifted off her shoulders. “I knew I had to think about my parents and my younger sister,” she says. “I had a responsibility to make sure I didn’t become a burden of debt.”

Kar emigrated from India with her family when she was 4 years old. She’s now president of the South Asian cultural awareness group as well as vice president of the Commuting Students Association at Fordham. The senior mathematics and economics major also participates in the Fordham Mentoring Program.

“My mentor has given me recommendations and helped me decide what programs and companies in the financial industry might be better for me,” she says. “I feel like the alumni network is really strong.”

It’s this sense of community that attracted Kar to Fordham in the first place, and something she hopes to take with her. “I knew there were strong academics, but I also really liked the diversity and vibrancy of the college and the city,” she says. “Even though I’m Hindu, the Jesuit values have really shaped not only my education but the way I look at things. I make sure to integrate that into everything I do.”

Patrick Casaccio: Defining Success as Helping Others

As he nears his graduation from the Gabelli School of Business, Patrick Casaccio looks to the future with a twofold vision of success: achieving his own career goals and helping others achieve theirs.

Of all his endeavors at Fordham, he takes the most pride in mentoring Fordham students in the Social Impact 360 business plan competition. He loves to give guidance—“I think that being successful yourself is exciting, but knowing that you have that ability to lead is very important and rewarding as well,” says Casaccio, an applied accounting and finance major from Commack, N.Y.

He hopes to work in finance after graduation and build a broad skill set before founding his own company. A Fordham Fund Scholarship gave him more freedom to choose jobs in which he’ll learn and grow the most, but it also gave him the idea of giving back by eventually being a teacher. And it fuels his desire to come back to the Scholarship Donors and Recipients Reception one day—as a benefactor.

“I want to be in that position where I get to shake Fordham students’ hands 20 or 30 years down the road,” he says, “and thank them for choosing this school and continuing the Fordham legacy.”

The Toffolon Scholars: Supporting Women in Business

Cindy Vojtech makes John Toffolon proud. She was valedictorian of the Gabelli School of Business Class of 2000, earned a doctorate in economics, and serves as a principal economist at the Federal Reserve Board in Washington, D.C. And, Toffolon says, “she’s a terrific volleyball player.”

Vojtech was the first recipient of the scholarship fund created by Toffolon, a former Wall Street executive, and his wife, Joan, to support women studying at the Gabelli School, where Toffolon earned a bachelor’s degree and where both he and Joan each earned an M.B.A.

“During my formative years on Wall Street, it was generally male dominated,” says John, a Fordham trustee fellow. He and Joan thought the Joan and John E. Toffolon Jr. Presidential Endowed Scholarship Fund “would be a way to not only give back but to help balance the ranks.”

Inspired in part by the Toffolons’ generosity, Vojtech recently joined Fordham’s President’s Council and has given in support of scholarships as well as the volleyball and crew programs in which she took part as a student. “I can’t imagine my college experience without sports,” says Vojtech, a California native.

Toffolon says he and Vojtech “have a really lovely friendship.” He even co-signed an apartment lease for her when her father couldn’t, since he lived out of state. The two recently met up at Fordham, where they got to chat with the current Toffolon scholar, first-year Gabelli student Samantha Barrett, who plans to use the award to make the most of her time at Fordham. A global business honors student, she expects her studies to take her to London; Santiago, Chile; and Beijing. “I will be forever grateful,” she says.

Lauren Beglin: Striving for Sustainability

Lauren Beglin was in fourth grade when environmental experts came to her school to talk about the polluted Passaic River—two blocks from her Lyndhurst, N.J., home—and the species that were coming back as a result of cleanup efforts. The presentation fueled her interest in the natural environment, and that interest brought her to Fordham, in part because of all the research opportunities at its Louis Calder Center Biological Field Station in Armonk, N.Y.

She has since spent a summer at the Calder Center, collaborating with a professor on a study of a disease afflicting North American bats, which will be published in a peer-reviewed journal. Today she is working with a chemistry professor to develop a more efficient solar cell, serving on the University’s sustainability committee, and planning to pursue graduate studies right after earning her degree in environmental science. Her ultimate goal: working for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, conducting research into renewable energy and ways to implement it.

Scholarships made all of this possible. “They’ve had an absolutely amazing impact for me,” she says. Her awards include the Clare Boothe Luce Scholarship for women in science and engineering and the Dennis and Patricia Ruppel Endowed Scholarship. By allaying her financial worries, she says, “they helped me focus on the things that I wanted to accomplish.”

Peter Vergara: A Career in the Global Art World

Peter Vergara’s arts education began early. Born in Washington, D.C., he later moved with his family to Madrid, where he spent countless hours at the Prado Museum. “Some of my earliest memories are of just lying on the floor of the gallery,” he says.

Fordham was “a huge draw” for him because of the opportunities to work in New York City and experience its art museums. With support from his professors, he landed internships at the Hispanic Society of America; the Met Cloisters; and Sotheby’s, the global art auction house. After graduating from Fordham this May, he’ll take part in Sotheby’s prestigious 12-month paid trainee program, which prepares graduates for long-term opportunities at the company.

None of it would have been possible without scholarship support.

“In addition to letting me attend, the scholarships have motivated me,” says Vergara, who has received the UPS Endowed Scholarship; the Annenberg Foundation Endowed Scholarship in honor of John L. Marion, FCRH ’56; and the Anthony C. Howkins, FCRH ’48, and Marguerita C. Howkins Endowed Scholarship. “Each summer, my family has been unsure about my ability to come back,” he adds. “But scholarships and jobs, as a resident assistant and a work-study tutor, have allowed me to complete four incredibly productive and fun years.”

Erica Scalise: From the Windy City to the Big Apple

Erica Scalise wanted to leave her tight-knit Chicago neighborhood and go away for college, and she chose Fordham in part because of the opportunities to learn and practice journalism at WFUV, Fordham’s public media station.

But with a brother heading to college soon and a sister in medical school, her family was concerned about cost. Scalise, however, had faith that it would all work out. And she was right.

“I was sitting in my room last spring when I saw the email,” says the sophomore journalism major, describing how she learned she had received a Heller Family Scholarship, established by Fordham parents Patti and John Heller, who sent three of their four children to Fordham. “It was that feeling that my hard work was paying off. I called up my parents right away; they were so happy and really proud.”

Scalise is now an editor of The Ram student newspaper and a newscaster at WFUV. “Being in the Bronx has been so eye opening,” she says. “Seeing the injustices around me … there are so many people whose stories never get told.” And she has embraced service, taking part in urban gardening with the Bronx is Blooming, a community nonprofit, and tutoring young men at Cardinal Hayes High School. “I’m so grateful that they chose me [for this scholarship],” she says. “It’s great incentive to do more.”

Arnell Stewart: Finding Support, Building Community

After her older brother died suddenly last fall, Arnell Stewart feared she wouldn’t be able to continue at Fordham. Her parents needed to travel to the Southwestern U.S. several times to put his affairs in order, which strained the family’s finances.

She stayed home in Mount Vernon, New York, commuting to Fordham, interning at Derek Jeter’s Turn 2 Foundation, and helping her two younger sisters get ready for school every day. But she didn’t know if she would be able to register for spring classes.

She spoke with Tiffany House, her academic counselor at Fordham’s CSTEP, a New York state-sponsored program to help minority students prepare for science- and health-related careers. She told House about the kind of support, financial and otherwise, that she needed. And then, after a nail-biting week or two, she learned that she would receive a Christina Seix Dow College Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP) Endowed Scholarship.

“I told my mom, and she was really happy. That probably was the first good thing that happened since the whole tragedy,” she says. “Now life just seems so much clearer.”

The Fordham sophomore recently declared her major—business administration, with concentrations in finance and the business of healthcare—and she participated in a Gabelli School-sponsored Women in Business retreat. “No matter what career I have,” she says, “I want to make a positive impact on people’s lives.”

The Cosenzas: From Recipients to Donors, A Shared Experience

Todd Cosenza and Elizabeth Pinho-Cosenza met at Fordham and would later get married in the University Church. They also had similar Fordham experiences that continue to inform their efforts on behalf of the University’s students.

Having graduated from Catholic high schools, they had some idea of what to expect at Fordham, but didn’t know just how much mentoring and personal attention they would receive. They also received critical help from scholarships, which only reinforced their awareness of how others were invested in their futures.

Today they serve on the Fordham University President’s Council and regularly give guidance to students, among other efforts. “People along the way helped me, so I think it’s incumbent on me to help others,” said Todd Cosenza, GABELLI ’95, LAW ’98, a partner at the law firm of Willkie Farr & Gallagher LLP.

They have generously supported Fordham priorities including the Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, and it’s always a joy to learn more about the scholarship recipients, says Elizabeth Pinho-Cosenza, FCRH ’98, a Harvard Law graduate and associate professor of law and ethics in the Gabelli School of Business. “I feel grateful,” she says, “that we’re able to help students get a high-quality Fordham education the way we both did.”

Amanda Jara: Aspiring to International Service

Fordham was appealing to Amanda Jara because of its emphasis on service, something she had always been interested in. Growing up in Bergen County, N.J., she volunteered at a summer camp for disabled children—giving them one-on-one support throughout the day—to fulfill a high school graduation requirement, and found that the work felt like anything but a requirement. “It was really rewarding,” she said.

She kept volunteering at Fordham, serving at Bronx agencies including the Rosedale Achievement Center, where she was a tutor and mentor. And in sophomore year, something happened that transformed her ambitions for helping others. She was awarded a Founder’s Scholarship, which relieved her concerns about student debt and brought service-related career options into greater focus.

An international political economy major who’s interested in law school, she hopes to work for a nonprofit in international development after graduating. And she also hopes to one day give back in a way that’s more personal—by offering another student the kind of scholarship support that made a deep impression on her.

“It really makes you feel special and motivated that you’re worthy of this scholarship, that all of these people believe in you, she said. “I felt so honored.”

Elodie Huston: Service and Learning

In her first semester at Fordham, Elodie Huston began volunteering at Rauschenbusch Metro Ministries in Manhattan as part of a service-learning course in theology. She worked in programs supporting young immigrants and homeless children at the nonprofit, and the experience sparked her passion for education policy.

But by her second semester, the Wisconsin native wasn’t sure she and her family could afford another year at Fordham, especially with two younger sisters who would soon be applying college. Just before her sophomore year, however, Huston earned both a J.T. Tai & Company Foundation Scholarship and a Joan M. Pease Endowed Scholarship. She later earned the Peter and Kitty Quinn Endowed Scholarship. The extra financial aid allowed her to stay—and thrive—at Fordham.

“Getting the scholarships was absolutely incredible. The money was going to run out, and I didn’t know if I would be able to finish,” Huston says. “But Fordham really rallied for me.”

Since then, the English major has interned at a small mobile marketing startup company; revamped Lincoln Center’s literary magazine, The Comma; and worked extensively with the Office of Prestigious Fellowships to apply for postgraduate awards to further her academic career.

That work paid off this spring, when she earned a Fulbright English Teaching Assistant award to Germany, where she has some relatives and where some of her ancestors lived before immigrating to the U.S. in the 1920s and 1930s. After completing her Fulbright, she plans to pursue a master’s degree in international education policy.

“I get to have this education because my parents and grandparents and others put me in this position,” she says. “Now I want to be able to use that and spread that to other people.”

Photos by Michael Falco, Bud Glick, John O’Brien, Matthew Septimus, Chris Taggart, and Robert Voets

For Ian Cairns, a recipient of the Albert and Barbara Costello Scholarship, the April 23 event, which was held at the University Club in Manhattan, gave him a chance to thank the Costello family for their generosity.  Because of the scholarship, he was able to study finance at the Gabelli School of Business with “a peace of mind,” he said.

“A lot of my friends back home weren’t able to go away to college or they would have to come home during the week to work and help their families with rent and other things,” said Cairns, a first-generation college student. “This scholarship has allowed me to learn as much as I can, join a lot of clubs, and meet a lot of people.”

Cairns—who got to meet Barbara A. Costello at the reception—was one of more than 300 guests who attended. Several other scholarship recipients were able to meet and connect with the donors who have helped to fund their education.

Costello, who established the Costello Scholarship with her late husband, Albert Costello, FCRH ’57, said being able to alleviate the burdens of promising Fordham students like Cairns is helping to keep her husband’s legacy alive.

“When I see these kids, I see the dreams of my husband,” she said.

‘Patrons and Saints’

In his address to the donors and students, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, called the donors “generous souls” who are contributing to success of talented students with limited financial resources. Benefactors have created more than 130 new scholarships for students as part of Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid. The fundraising campaign has raised more than $130 million toward the University’s $175 million goal.

“Words could never tell you how deeply grateful I am for the fact that you make Fordham new every day,” he said.

“You make Fordham new because you are the patrons and saints for the young men and women in this room.”

Henry Miller, FCRH ’68, benefactor of the Henry S. Miller Endowed Fellowship for International Education and University trustee, spoke on behalf of the donors. In his speech, he discussed some of his own hardships as a college student and shared how getting the opportunity to study in France transformed his life. By funding the fellowship, he is able to provide promising Fordham students with similar study-abroad experiences in countries like Spain, Jordan, and African nations, he said.

“I share a history common to many of you here,” he told the students. “My parents were workers of modest means. They didn’t attend college. They couldn’t help direct my choice or even list my options.”

Arielle Murray, a first-generation college student and this year’s student speaker, shared how receiving the E. Gerald Corrigan Endowed Scholarship helped her to focus on her coursework and extracurricular activities.

“On top of majoring in music, and minoring in both Spanish and theology, I was also involved in the yoga and mindfulness club, Global Outreach Ecuador, and the Granada study abroad program,” the senior at Fordham College at Lincoln Center said. “Each would have their own hand in shaping who I would become.”

Murray said her family moved from Trinidad and Tobago to the U.S. in 1990 in pursuit of a better life. She shared that her older brother was supposed to be the first to attend college, but had the opportunity taken away from him when regulations tightened after 9/11.

“It was heartbreaking,” she said. “Instead of pursuing higher education as he wanted to, my brother had to immediately enter the workforce, which made me the first in our family to attend college. Understanding the extent of my family’s hardships piqued my awareness that the opportunity to pursue higher education was a great privilege.”

As Murray gave her speech, her parents Curtis and Nancy Murray looked on with pride.

“She has always been a meticulous student who was very serious about her work,” said Curtis Murray. “Sometimes, I would come home at night and find her studying even at 2 a.m.”

Murray’s story resonated with last year’s student speaker Caroline Koenig, a Gabelli School senior and recipient of the Peter and Carol Howe Endowed Scholarship.

“Coming from my background, no one has ever been to college, so saving for college when I was growing up was not a part of the financial planning in my family,” said the Fairfield, Connecticut native, who explained that she had to take on different jobs to help cover the cost of her tuition.

“Once I got a scholarship, I was able to become an advising assistant for freshmen, volunteer at Murray-Weigel Hall, and join an accounting society [called Beta Alpha Psi],” she said.

Personal Connections

Paul A. Soden, Esq., FCRH ’65, LAW ’68, and his wife Irene Soden, who established the Irene and Paul Soden Endowed Scholarship, said the annual event has allowed them to build personal connections with the scholarship recipients.

“I liked the fact that my donors are people that I could meet,” said Soden Scholar Lauren Scully, a student at Fordham Law.

“It’s kind of a celebration of a long, hard adventure on everyone’s part—the donors, who for all these years, managed to accumulate enough money to be able to be generous, and the recipients who worked so hard to get the scholarships,” added Paul Soden.

Hearing about the personal challenges and strides of the students whom their scholarships support has inspired many donors to not only share their own stories, but also offer advice to their recipients. James P. Melican Jr., Esq., FCRH ’62, who has helped to support several Fordham Fund Scholars, said that these conversations are one of the most important parts of the evening.

“I sat with a couple of young people and I told them, ‘There is really nothing that you should not be willing to attempt,’” he said. He was pleased to see how the students have succeeded in their studies.

“People from so many other places in the world have the opportunity to come to Fordham and get the same kind of foundation that we got. I couldn’t be happier.”

Darlene Luccio Jordan, FCRH ’89, a member of the Board of Trustees, and her husband, Gerald R. Jordan Jr., have made a $6 million gift to the University. The largest portion of the funds, $5 million, will be allocated to the Darlene Luccio Jordan, Esq., and Gerald R. Jordan Jr. Endowed Scholarship Fund, established by the couple in 2010. The new investment to the fund would allow Fordham to provide significant grants to promising Boston high school students who demonstrate financial need.

A former prosecutor and assistant attorney general of Massachusetts, Luccio Jordan and her family live in Palm Beach, in Boston, and on Cape Cod.

“We believe that the impact of financial aid is not only real, tangible, and measurable—it is our responsibility,” said Luccio Jordan, who serves as the chair of the Trustee Advancement and University Relations Committee and as co-chair of Fordham’s Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid, which her gift supports. “A significant reason for making this gift is to thank Fordham for shaping my life and providing me with an education and spiritual foundation.”

“Darlene and Jerry’s gift is characteristic of their generosity and a major investment in Fordham’s longstanding commitment to making a Jesuit education in New York City accessible to talented students of all socioeconomic backgrounds, including immigrants and new Americans,” said Roger A. Milici Jr., Fordham’s vice president for development and university relations. “For that, we are all grateful.”

Of the remaining donation, $500,000 will be allotted to the Frank McLaughlin Family Basketball Court, $250,000 will go to Fordham Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund, and $250,000 will be used to boost the trustee’s Fordham Fund Challenge Initiative. Gifts to the Fordham Fund are unrestricted and help the University to support scholarships, career services, and improved facilities and technology.

While Luccio Jordan did not receive financial aid when she enrolled at Fordham over 30 years ago, she had to take out student loans to attend, she said.

“Today, the average undergraduate student has accumulated almost $40,000 in debt upon graduation,” said Luccio Jordan. “Unfortunately, large sums of debt are discouraging students from pursuing careers in education, the public sector, and social services. These areas of study are vital for our communities and are the basis of Fordham’s educational foundation—to serve others.”

Gerald (Jerry) Jordan, a graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Business School, has been positively impacted by financial aid. With the help of a scholarship, he was the first in his family to go to college, said Luccio Jordan.

“Jerry has always said that this was the greatest thing anyone could have ever done for him,” she said. “The amazing gift of a scholarship left an indelible mark on him. Because of his gratitude and recognition of the value his education provided to him, he has been working to pay it forward.”

Similarly, Luccio Jordan credits her Fordham education for giving her the tools to excel in her career and her community. Through her family’s gift to the University, she hopes to extend Fordham’s long maroon line.

“Fordham instilled in me the Jesuit principles of excellence, pursuing justice, sharing gifts, civic engagement, and the power of an educated mind,” she said. “Our hope is that by establishing this scholarship fund, the next generation of leaders will embrace the Jesuit values and become engaged, concerned, and contributing citizens of the world.”

“Marymount showed me the importance of working as part of a team. But I also learned that you can’t always wait for someone to give you an opportunity,” she says. “If you want things to happen, sometimes you need to be the one to push it through.”

MacInnis, who joined the Marymount Alumnae Board in 2016, is taking that same initiative in her new role as the board’s president. “Some of it is about looking backward, being able to continue coming together and getting this cross-section of women that really helps you see the progression of history and how similar and yet radically different things are,” MacInnis explains. This is especially important for Marymount, MacInnis says, which began merging with Fordham shortly after she graduated in 2000 before closing in 2007.

“But I also want to look forward with the women of Fordham, and see where we might be needed to help create future women leaders.”

She’s already begun by reaching out to Deanna Howes, FCRH ’07, the leader of Fordham’s Alumni Chapter of Washington, D.C., who gave her helpful advice on working with alumni. And she hopes to continue growing the Marymount Legacy Fund, which just reached $1 million in June 2017 and provides scholarships to talented female Fordham students with a Marymount affiliation. MacInnis also hopes to find new ways to bring together Marymount alumnae and Fordham’s current students, perhaps by partnering with campus clubs.

“I’m still getting my sea legs,” she says, “but I want to continue supporting this special community.”

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
My favorite hobbies are reading and going to the theater. Both are great ways to learn about experiences outside of your own, and you really develop empathy and respect in the process. And when I’ve gone through difficult times, such as when my father passed away, I took great comfort from reading about how others went through the same experiences and seeing our commonalities.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Don’t tie your self-worth to your job. Obviously your job is important, but you can’t hang everything on the outcome of a meeting or project. I’ve always taken things to heart more than I should, and I’ve been trying to separate myself from that habit recently.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
I don’t know that I have one particular favorite spot in New York, but whenever I visit, I try to walk wherever I go. It’s amazing to see the different neighborhoods and people, a cross-section that is hard to get anywhere else. As much as I love New York, I’m originally from New England, so I immediately feel at home there more than anywhere else in the world.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you. Explain how and why.
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn stays with me to this day. It was one of the first books I read that described individuals—and especially family—as flawed and complex people that you still love. And the ending is so melancholy—not tidy like children’s books. More recently I loved Long Way Down, by Jason Reynolds, which takes place during an elevator ride. It’s a short book, but he packs a lot of emotion and complexity into it.

Who is the Marymount or Fordham grad or professor you admire most? Explain why.
I have great memories of meeting Geraldine Ferraro my freshman year at Marymount. I still remember asking her about public financing of elections! She attended the Marymount Convent School across from Marymount College, and she graduated from Fordham University’s Law School. I’ve always admired how she was able to combine her commitment to helping others and her professional work, especially at a time when it was not necessarily expected that women would become lawyers, members of Congress, or vice presidential candidates.