“Both of them loved Fordham,” said their son, William J. Toppeta, FCRH ’70, a University trustee who with his wife, Debra Toppeta, created the scholarship in 2000 to honor them and benefit Fordham students—just one of their many generous gifts to the University.

The scholarship has turned out to be a richly rewarding way to honor his parents’ legacy.

For years, it helped bring a Fordham education within financial reach for several students at a time. Then, five years ago, the Toppetas modified the scholarship to cover full tuition as well as living expenses for one student facing high financial hurdles, in the process forming a bond with the students—two, so far—who have received this full support.

In 2020, seeking to advance the cause of racial justice, the Toppetas once again modified the scholarship so that it’s awarded with a preference for students who, in addition to showing academic merit and financial need, are first-generation college students or come from underrepresented racial and ethnic groups. The murder of George Floyd “had a huge impact on us,” William Toppeta said. “We wanted to actually do something that was impactful as an anti-racist example in action.”

They are also making a new contribution to their scholarship fund, advancing two priorities of the University’s $350 million fundraising campaign, Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student: access and affordability, as well as diversity, equity, and inclusion.

A Personal Bond

The current Toppeta Scholar, Gianna McGrath, a sophomore in the Gabelli School of Business, got the news in her second week at Fordham and was immediately moved to tears of joy. “It’s kind of an indescribable feeling, an eternal gratefulness,” she said.

The scholarship allayed her and her family’s worries about her loan amounts and allowed her to cut back on part-time work in favor of other things, like exploring the city and joining student clubs. She soon learned that the Toppetas were personally interested in her success. After meeting them at dinner with her family, she found they were “very genuine and down to earth,” said McGrath, who was born in Jamaica. “They’re so loving of all cultures, all people.”

The first recipient of the full scholarship, Huiling Cai, GABELLI ’21, immigrated from China seven years ago and earned an associate degree from LaGuardia Community College in New York City, learning English along the way. Receiving the Toppeta scholarship made possible her Fordham education and everything that has flowed from it, including her former job at EY and her current job at PwC, she said.

And the Toppetas became a welcome presence in her life in many ways, such as visiting her during her first month at Fordham; attending a ceremony for her and other Dean’s List honorees; and providing advice and support during challenging moments. “They are truly my angels,” she said.

The benefits go both ways. “It’s not just Gianna and Huiling who’ve benefitted from this. We’ve gotten a lot back,” Debra Toppeta said. “It’s just enriched our lives tremendously.”

In an interview, they elaborated on their reasons for modifying the scholarship, as well as lessons learned over the course of their careers—he, as an executive at MetLife and president of management consulting firm Macomber Peak Partners; she, as an attorney and founder and publisher of the award-winning website Woman Around Town.

Can you tell me more about your decision to refocus the John and Rita Toppeta Endowed Scholarship on students from underrepresented groups?
William Toppeta: My father felt very strongly about Jesuit education. He thought that the training that he got at Fordham was strongly morally based. And I think that again sort of connects to what we’re trying to do here with the scholarship. We believe very strongly that this is the right thing to do. Racism is still part of this country, but it’s been part of this country for hundreds of years, and each of us needs to do something about it.

What we’re doing, we think, is 100% consistent with Fordham’s history and philosophy. Fordham has always been a place that was focused on the underdog, the people who did not have the advantages. What Bishop John Hughes had in mind when he founded Fordham is that he wanted to give opportunity for people to get a higher education who otherwise would not have had that opportunity. At the time, most of those people happened to be Irish, and he, of course, was Irish. Then later on it was others—it was people from Eastern and Southern Europe. My father was one of those people.

Your mother knew something about facing discrimination too, I think?
William: She did talk about it. Her father was a lawyer, and she and my father practiced with him in New York City for a time. She said to me that when her father first sent her to court, she answered the calendar call for her client and the clerk of the court said to her, “No, no, no, you have to be a lawyer to answer the calendar call.” And she said, “I am a lawyer.” So she faced a lot of obstacles, but I think it made her tougher.

What career advice would you offer students?
William: When I was at Fordham, we learned a lot about the Ignatian and the Jesuit perspective, and one of its fundamentals is that a person should have a contemplative life and an active life. I think part of the contemplative part of life is to think about getting to know yourself and understanding yourself, and your abilities and qualities, in as objective a way as you can. Somewhere along the line, either someone else is going to ask you or you’re going to ask yourself, can I accomplish that? When you’re offered a job or an opportunity, you’d better know the answer, because you may not be given much time to decide. I’ve had situations in my career where I was given 24 hours to decide whether I was leaving the country or not for an opportunity. I think in our times, things happen very, very fast, and so if you don’t take time to think quietly about things, you’re going to miss a lot of chances. A lot of life comes down to fundamental principles and understanding, and I think Fordham is very strong on these.

Debra Toppeta: My advice would be to always continue to grow. The way to really get to know yourself is to just keep pushing forward and trying new things. Stay flexible, keep informed, and keep never stop learning so you’re always prepared for your next opportunity, because they’ll present themselves in ways you didn’t expect. I started in business, and then I went to law school, and then I started Woman Around Town. My partner, Charlene Giannetti, came up with the idea; she was a journalist at Businessweek and wanted to branch out on her own, and she knew I could write, and that I was a lawyer and was looking for my next endeavor.

So I jumped at it, and it’s been terrific. It was very challenging when we started, but we also had great opportunities because it was during the Great Recession, when print media was laying off reporters, and we were able to offer them work. We’ve received over 30 awards for journalism from various organizations.

Is there a book that has had a lasting influence on you?
William: I would point to categories of books. I read a lot of history and biography because they’re the story of challenges that people faced, when they succeeded, when they failed. I don’t necessarily think that history repeats itself, but we can certainly learn from history and see parallels. I just finished reading a very good history by Simon Sebag Montefiore of the history of the Romanovs, the family that ruled Russia for 300 years. And if you read that history, and then you think about what’s going on today with Russian president Vladimir Putin and Ukraine, you can see very clearly that Putin is just a continuation of the czars in a slightly different form.

Debra: I read The Warmth of Other Suns, by Isabel Wilkerson, about the Great Migration of African Americans from the South to the North and West. It’s a collection of stories that shows you just what people will do to improve their lives and their family’s lives. Each one of those stories is like a profile in courage and very inspirational.

Looking at the world today, what are you optimistic about?
William: I’m optimistic about a couple of things. One, people are still free to think and say what they want within very broad parameters in this country. So it makes me optimistic that at least at the moment, we are still operating democratically. The other thing I’m optimistic about is the young people. The more young people that I meet, the more confident I am about the future. I really do think that the younger generation is better equipped than we were, and that they’re genuinely trying, in most cases, to do the right thing.

To inquire about supporting scholarships and financial aid or another area of the University, please contact Michael Boyd, senior associate vice president for development and university relations, at 212-636-6525 or [email protected]. Learn more about Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student, a campaign to reinvest in every aspect of the Fordham student experience.

Her path to forming the nonprofit started in 2016, when she received what she calls a blessing in disguise. After a decades-long career at various financial firms in New York City, she was laid off from Neuberger Berman, an employee-owned investment management firm.

She asked herself what she would do next. “In my heart, I’ve always wanted to … get more women involved in technology or finance, and especially women of color, because I never saw anybody that looked like me—or not enough of it,” Gomes-Gregory said.

She kicked off Heels and Higher Achievement (HHA) in 2018, determined to make financial literacy fun while giving a voice to those in her community who are empowering young women in tech, finance, STEM, media, or “whatever it is that they want to do,” she said. “I wanted to create a forum so that people can speak, but mainly speak about financial education.”

That first year, she conducted in-person workshops at schools, churches, and “anywhere anyone would hear me,” Gomes-Gregory said. She’d speak about basic financial literacy concepts and invite people to schedule a complimentary financial review—a kind of “GPS of your money,” she said, “to make sure you can stop working for money at some point and [let]money work for you.”

She also launched an ambassador program to give young girls opportunities to network with professionals and serve their communities through volunteer work. But COVID-19 meant pivoting to online events and workshops in 2020.

In April, HHA sponsored its second annual series of online workshops for Financial Literacy Month, including, for the first time, programming for men. “[Because] of all of the things that were happening in the Black community— between George Floyd, the social issues, COVID—men need to talk, too,” she said.

The digital programming has gone well, she said. She’s hoping to launch a YouTube channel and resume in-person events soon.

“I’m learning that self-care and self-preservation— from a financial, physical, mental, and spiritual [standpoint]—are so very important,” she said. “And I didn’t learn this until I was 50. So, now I’m teaching all of the young ’uns. ‘Take care of yourself first. You’re important.’”

In the months leading up to today, I heard from many people from a variety of backgrounds who spoke of the deep angst with which they awaited the conclusion of the trial of Derek Chauvin. Finally, at 5:05 this afternoon a Minneapolis jury delivered guilty verdicts on the three charges that were brought against him: second-degree murder, third-degree murder, and manslaughter for the killing of George Floyd. I am sure that many of us felt a deep sense of relief when the verdicts were read. In spite of the fact that the verdicts have been rendered, however, nothing can bring George Floyd back. Therefore, Mr. Floyd’s family and loved ones, and all who seek justice and lovingly affirm that Black lives matter still mourn his loss, and will do so for the rest of their lives.

I have spent my adult life consoling people, and I must confess that I still have no words to ease the pain of watching anyone die a slow, unnecessary, agonizing death, much less the pain of watching a family member or loved one suffer such a cruel death. And in this I, we, must recognize the especially deep pain that George Floyd’s murder has inflicted on Black people in this country. If Mr. Floyd’s death sparks a change in the way Black people are policed, and in the way that white people see and respect Black people, that will be the smallest measure of good to come from his murder, and in no way worth the loss of his life. Yet, with other recent police killings, including that of 20-year-old Daunte Wright in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota—just a few miles from where George Floyd was killed—we know there’s more to be done to achieve full justice. Much more.

I have often said to our community, and to our students, that they should be bothered by injustice. As I acknowledge the great pain and suffering of the University community over Mr. Floyd’s death, I want to acknowledge that that suffering is most deeply felt among the Black members of the Fordham family. I hope that in the wake of this trial we can recognize in one another our common humanity, and the divine spark in everyone we encounter. I pray for justice in this moment, and for healing thereafter. It also reminds me/us of the work of anti-racism that we need to continue to promote forcefully and with full heart here at Fordham.

I pray for you all, every day: May God lessen your pain and grant you some measure of peace. For our nation, I pray that we may find our way to a lasting justice that is based upon our shared humanity.

Sincerely,
Joseph M. McShane, S.J.

Campus Ministry
Rose Hill
McGinley Center 102
441 E. Fordham Rd.
Bronx, NY 10458
Phone: (718) 817-4500
[email protected]

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New York, NY 10023
Phone: (212) 636-6267
[email protected]

University Health Services
[email protected]
Lincoln Center: (212) 636-7160
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Office of Multicultural Affairs
https://www.fordham.edu/info/20908/multicultural_affairs

Office of the Chief Diversity Officer
https://www.fordham.edu/info/29887/diversity_resources

Department of Public Safety
(718) 817-2222

Jesuit Resources on Racism
https://ignatiansolidarity.net/resources/faith-in-action-responding-to-racial-injustice/

“[George Floyd’s death] really puts us in position to look at something else that rears its ugly head all too often—not just in a macro sense, but in a micro sense at Fordham University, [in]  corporate America—and it’s called racism,” said Carter, who retired as vice president for global diversity & inclusion and chief diversity officer for Johnson & Johnson in 2015. “We have to call it what it is, and we have to understand we all are affected and afflicted by this sin called racism. And we have to come together collectively to do something about it.” 

A frequent lecturer and writer on the topics of diversity, inclusion, and social justice, Carter was a member of Fordham’s Diversity Task Force in 2015 and supports the University’s CSTEP program. He grew up in the South Bronx in a family of 10 children. His son Dayne is a 2015 Fordham graduate.

In part of the June 18 interview, Carter reflected on how his Fordham baseball cap helps protect him from people who may misjudge his identity and “take a cheap shot” at him. 

“Outside of what we do, we still have to find ways to protect who we are,” Carter said. “I often use [this]  example. I have a white cap, and it has a beautiful Fordham emblem on the front of it, and on the back of it, it says Board of Trustees. And I put that hat on like every other trustee with a sense of pride … But I also put that hat on for protection. I put that hat on because I don’t want anybody to misjudge who I am and take a cheap shot at me. Because absent that hat, I could be set up in circumstances that are unfortunate simply because of the color of my skin.” 

In his role at Fordham, Zapata focuses on the support and strategic development of practices that promote racial justice, gender equity, disability access, and full participation in the life of the University among all members of the community. He’s a native New Yorker of Puerto Rican descent who grew up in the Chelsea public housing projects and attended Rice High School in Harlem. 

Along with Carter, Zapata spoke about how Fordham is working on addressing racism within its ranks. 

“At Fordham, we have … one of the oldest and widely respected African and African American history programs in the country … But not everybody’s going to be an African and African American studies major,” said Zapata. “What we’re trying to do at Fordham is [figure out]how do we integrate substantively and authentically issues of race throughout the curriculum in introductory classes? It can’t be an extra class, a one-credit class, or a zero-credit class. It has to be integrated into the curriculum.”

Achieving meaningful change is a process, said Zapata. 

“What people think are the solutions are usually just the beginnings, and that includes hiring a chief diversity officer. That includes even getting a diverse student body, which we have not achieved yet. We’re still working on diversifying the faculty and administration and staff, which we’re working on. It’s a slower process. But we can’t pat ourselves on the back,” said Zapata. “We’re not there yet. And we have a long way to go.”

Watch Carter and Zapata’s full conversation in the video above. 

“We’re living in a very, very unusual time, an unprecedented time,” Father McShane said during a Saturday morning address, referring to the confluence of the coronavirus pandemic and nationwide protests against police brutality and racial injustice galvanized by the May 25 death of George Floyd at the hands of Minneapolis police.

In addition to Fordham’s potential to promote racial justice, Father McShane spoke about the possible impact of the pandemic on enrollment this fall and the University’s plans for holding classes amid the uncertainty it has fostered. He gave a special welcome to this year’s newest Jubilarians, members of the Class of 2015, as well as the newest Golden Rams, members of the Class of 1970, who also graduated in a year of tumult, one that saw on-campus protests over the war in Vietnam.

In his remarks, Father McShane emphasized that a virtual Jubilee is still Jubilee.

“The format is virtual; the feelings are real,” he said. “So it’s not just a virtual Jubilee; it’s a heartfelt Jubilee at a time of not only great turmoil but great opportunity—opportunity to show what Fordham brings to the world.”

The University is planning to invite this year’s Jubilarians to next year’s Jubilee celebration, said Roger A. Milici Jr., vice president for development and university relations, who took part in the session.

Approximately 150 people attended the virtual Jubilee gatherings, which included a Friday night “Wine 101” tasting and both a yoga and meditation session and a virtual Mass in the University Church on Sunday. Father McShane spoke Saturday during a “Coffee and Conversation” session moderated by Sally Benner, FCRH ’84, vice chair of the Fordham University Alumni Association Advisory Board.

Working for Racial Justice

In his talk on Saturday, Father McShane spoke of the long and troubled history of race in the U.S.

“As we all know, the past two weeks have been weeks where the United States has been really challenged to examine its conscience,” he said. Now is the time to engage “in deep conversation with one another across age groups, across socioeconomic groups, across racial divides,” he said.

“I think at this moment, Fordham has a very special role to play,” Father McShane said. “I think those characteristics of heart and mind that have always distinguished Fordham graduates—character, conscience, competence, compassion, and deep commitment to the cause of the human family, out of love for the Gospel—those are extraordinarily important gifts that we bring, extraordinary things that enable us to help the national conversation to go forward.”

Asked what the first steps might be, he noted that St. Ignatius Loyola, founder of the Society of Jesus, called for “an honest examination of our own heart.”

“This is difficult stuff. It takes time. We have to ask ourselves what is it that stands between me and entering freely into a conversation, and respectfully into a conversation, which will allow us to listen and be listened to?

“I’d say it begins with humility, [a]realization that we don’t have all the answers.”

Plans for the Fall

Asked about the enrollment picture for this fall, Father McShane said the University is wrestling with uncertainties about the potential size of the returning class as students and their parents ponder the option of taking a “gap” year. Fordham’s budget is “in much better” shape than those of other colleges and universities, he said, but there’s concern about international students’ enrollment because consulates have closed due to the pandemic, slowing the processing of visas.

On the other hand, he said, summer session enrollments “have gone through the roof,” even though the classes are all online, “and that’s really heartening for us.” The number of returning students seems on track to increase compared with a normal year, perhaps partially because of less interest in studying abroad, he said.

He praised faculty members’ “extraordinary” efforts to quickly make the transition to online education in March. “Most of them had never taught a virtual course before. They had never dealt with online education,” he said.

Faculty members continue to help and teach one another, forming “networks of instruction for instruction,” he said. The University is overhauling course formats to create a “flexible hybrid learning environment,” in the words of Provost Dennis C. Jacobs, Ph.D., in case the pandemic prompts new mandates for sheltering in place this fall.

Embracing the Bronx

On the topic of racial justice, Father McShane also spoke of how Fordham is seeking to listen to and engage with its neighbors in the Bronx, overwhelmingly a “borough of color,” such as helping local merchants draw up business plans and apply for U.S. Small Business Administration loans and providing support through the graduate schools of education, social service, and law to help people near its New York City campuses cope with current stresses.

He said faculty and administrators are coming up with ideas about how the University can respond to nationwide protests that he called “a cry of the heart from the African American community.”

The conversation turned to two recently deceased titans of Fordham—Joseph Cammarosano, Ph.D., the Fordham professor emeritus and administrator who guided the University through difficult times, and Joseph A. O Hare, S.J., president of Fordham from 1984 to 2003.

During times of turmoil in the Bronx, when many were questioning whether Fordham should remain in the borough, Father O’Hare not only resisted but bravely said, “‘We’re building a library, and we’re building the library to make a statement,” Father McShane said. “‘We’re the Bronx and the Bronx is us, and we’re not going to turn our back on it.’”