The gifts from alumni, faculty, staff, and others—made between March 4 and 5—surpassed the amount raised on Giving Day last year and propelled the University closer to completing its $350 million fundraising campaign, Cura Personalis | For Every Fordham Student, in the campaign’s final stretch.

For this year’s Giving Day campaign, 2,433 donors gave in support of scholarships, academic centers, diversity and inclusion initiatives, athletics, and other University priorities, often responding to other donors’ giving challenges and matching funds. Gifts ranged from $1 to $12,500, with $100 as the median gift.

Piecing Together the Future

The campaign was titled Piecing Together the Future, with a message that “you are a vital piece in shaping Fordham.”

This year, for the first time, Giving Day was paired with blood drives—held at the Rose Hill and Lincoln Center campuses—that reinforced the themes of service and making a positive impact. More than 75 people took part.

Tania Tetlow, president of Fordham, thanked supporters in an online video message. “When you come together to each give even a little bit, you are part of building on Fordham’s academic excellence, incredible community, and the ways that you help us make a difference to the world when it needs us most.”

Committed Alumni

The Giving Day fund that received the most support—in both number of donors and dollars raised—was the fund for Fordham’s Greatest Needs. It received nearly $295,000 from 660 donors.

Beyond that, the funds that got the most support included the water polo program; the Fordham Law School Fund; the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) at the Lincoln Center campus; and the Parents and Families Fund.

This was the first year that HEOP at Lincoln Center held a Giving Day campaign. HEOP alumni often give back to the program by mentoring and meeting with students, and this year they were asking how they could make monetary gifts too, said Jennifer Sanchez-Trujillo, associate director of the Lincoln Center HEOP program.

She expected perhaps 50 donors to respond. Instead, she got 118.

“I was very touched,” Sanchez-Trujillo said. “It just shows how invested our alumni are in Fordham and in the program.”

It was also a good Giving Day for the Marymount Legacy Scholarship, awarded to a Fordham student—of any gender—who has an affiliation with Marymount College, which merged with Fordham before closing in 2007.

Giving Day support for the scholarship has been trending upward over time, with 114 donors giving more than $36,000 this year, said Karen Easton, MC ’86, vice president of the Marymount Alumnae Association, which “has been very active in keeping graduates informed and connected,” she said.

This year, donors spanned 25 states and class years from 1959 to 2007, she said. “We really have a high-spirited group of graduates” who want to sustain the college’s legacy, she said.

Cura Personalis Campaign

The strong Giving Day total brings Fordham to 94% of the Cura Personalis campaign’s fundraising goal. The campaign is designed to enhance the entire University experience through investments in access and affordability; academic excellence; student wellness and success; athletics; and greater diversity, equity, and inclusion on campus.

“We barely knew each other at that point,” says McGilvery, who is now a weekday morning anchor at WTIC-TV (FOX61) in Hartford, Connecticut. “We were in school for two weeks and somebody came into a class early that Tuesday morning and said something is going on. And the professor just sat there with us, and we talked about it, and we went back to our dorm and you could see smoke from the top of Hughes Hall.”

For McGilvery, that time in his college career, while traumatic, was also one that brought him and his classmates closer together and reminded them of why they had chosen to go to Fordham.

“I think in that moment, you made friends that have lasted a lifetime, and you were immediately reminded of your responsibility to lead with conscience, to be a critical thinker, to be open to a world that was larger than what many of us knew at that point. … People were donating blood, everybody was jumping up to do what they could. And you really saw immediately the character of a class come together to do some really incredible things.”

McGilvery majored in communications and political science at Fordham College at Rose Hill, and he joined United Student Government (USG) on campus, eventually becoming president. On the first anniversary of the attack, USG, along with the recently graduated Class of 2002, unveiled a 9/11 Memorial in the Finlay Gardens, near the Bathgate Avenue entrance to campus. (The memorial was also unveiled at the Lincoln Center campus.) And as a member of his Class of 2005 Jubilee Committee, he and his fellow committee members raised class gift funds for Fordham’s 9/11 Scholarship for their 15th reunion in 2020.

“It was a small gesture,” he said, “but hopefully one that’s packed with a lot of gratitude for the fact that we got through that experience together, and in a small way might be able to help someone else.”

Classes, Clubs, and Internships Set a Career Path

As an undergraduate, McGilvery also worked as a Rose Hill Society campus tour guide for prospective students and their families,  and he was a member of Fordham Nightly News, the student broadcast journalism club and news show that launched during his senior year and gave him some of his earliest broadcasting experience.

Meanwhile, he took full advantage of Fordham’s proximity to news outlets, completing internships at Good Morning America, 20/20, and ABC’s Primetime.

“I knew from an early age that I wanted to get into the news and there was literally no better place in the planet to do that,” McGilvery says of Fordham’s New York City location.

While his communications classes gave him the journalistic foundation for his future career—he cites Paul Levinson, Ph.D., and CBS News executive and correspondent Joseph Dembo as particularly inspiring professors—McGilvery also points to his political science courses as shaping his ability to parse difficult topics and engage in conversations around them.

“Fordham had great debate,” he recalls. “We talked about everything. We talked about world events in political science classes. Fordham had that rare ability to bring together people from all walks of life.”

And through the study abroad program Semester at Sea, which brought him to 10 countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America in 100 days during the fall of his junior year, McGilvery says he was exposed to the world in ways that had a lasting influence on him.

“There’s no better way to see the diversity of the world than through something like that,” he says. “It also brought me back to campus [ready]to ramp up my experience, having been exposed to an even larger world.”

Telling the Extraordinary Stories of Everyday People

After graduating in 2005, McGilvery worked for a year in health care communications, before deciding to get a master’s degree in journalism at Emerson College in Boston, where he continued to hone his broadcasting skills.

Upon completing that two-year program, he began his first broadcast job in 2008 at WVIR-TV (NBC29) in Charlottesville, Virginia. He says he chose that job over one in Bangor, Maine, because having grown up in Massachusetts and stayed in the Northeast for school, he wanted to try living in a different part of the country. As a reporter for the station, he was tasked with writing, reporting, filming, and editing his stories.

McGilvery spent three years in Charlottesville before moving to Burlington, Vermont, in 2011 to take a job as an anchor, reporter, and talk show host at WCAX-TV (CBS3). He anchored the nighttime broadcast there with co-anchor Jennifer Costa, FCRH ’06, and on the daily afternoon talk show he hosted, he covered “everything from politics to sports to cooking to entertainment,” he said.

Then, in 2017, he began his current role at FOX61, where he anchors the news desk from 4 to 6 a.m. He is now back in the station’s studio for that early morning shift after eight months of anchoring from his living room during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. From 6 to 11 a.m., he does field reporting, traveling around Connecticut to tell what he calls the “good news stories of the people who live in our region.” And although he also covers more hard news events like President Biden speaking at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy’s commencement this past May, McGilvery says it is the everyday stories of people doing good that he relishes more than anything.

“Everyday people have extraordinary stories,” he says. “I have the privilege of an incredible platform to share really interesting people and innovative ideas and folks who may not otherwise get that exposure.”

McGilvery credits Fordham with helping to shape him both professionally and personally, noting that he is still close friends with many of his classmates and that he brings his school spirit to work, asking his co-anchors to wear maroon with him on Fordham Giving Day.

“There are few experiences in my life that rival my four years on campus, and I know the richness it has brought to my life, to my friendships, to who I am today,” he says. “And I feel privileged to share a little bit of that with other people.”

What are you most passionate about?
I love to try new things, and I’ll do just about anything once. I [recently]flew in a Chinook helicopter and trained with the Connecticut National Guard. Other weeks, it’s anything from aerial yoga and rock climbing to lacing up with Disney on Ice. I also do a lot of volunteer work with the Down Syndrome Association of Connecticut and got the chance to sponsor an assistance dog named Morrissey through the nonprofit NEADS World Class Service Dogs.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
My dad told me that people are lucky to have one positive experience with someone else during the course of the day, and why not be that person? My mom taught me not to sell myself short and that a handwritten thank-you note still means a lot.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
I made some of my best friends in Hughes Hall and never missed an opportunity to recruit new Ram fans on Eddies Parade. I also studied abroad while at Fordham and loved the Great Wall of China and going on safari in Tanzania.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
Right now, I’m reading Fraternity by Diane Brady. It looks at the bold leadership of a Jesuit priest who worked to bring a group of young Black men to the College of the Holy Cross following MLK’s death in the 1960s.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
Dennis Ahern, FCRH ’67, assistant principal for professional development and supervision at Fordham Prep. I met Mr. Ahern while I was at Fordham with his two children, Kevin, FCRH ’05, and Caitlin FCRH ’08. For almost 50 years, Mr. Ahern has mentored generations of young people in the traditions of Jesuit education. He inspires people to be curious and kind. He’s a man for others, and his humble leadership has helped countless students lead lives committed to doing good. He reminds us all that character counts.

She shared a quote from an article her mother, Luisa, wrote in 1933, exhorting fellow members of a local political club to express their opinions with confidence.

“It is not my intention to be critical,” wrote DeLauro’s mother, who would go on to serve for 35 years on the Board of Aldermen in New Haven, Connecticut. “Rather, my motive in writing this article is to encourage the female members of this organization to take a more active part in its affairs. … I have noticed that the girls, unlike the men, are timid in asserting themselves, and many a good idea is lost, having been suppressed by its creator.

“Come on, girls. Let’s make ourselves heard.”

DeLauro, who entered public service after earning degrees from Marymount College and Columbia University, has been serving Connecticut’s 3rd Congressional District since 1991. In January, she became chair of the House Appropriations Committee—only the second woman to lead the group responsible for shaping the federal government’s discretionary spending priorities. She’s also the ranking member on the subcommittee that oversees the nation’s investments in education, health, and employment.

Awarding Fervent Service

DeLauro was one of three women honored by the Marymount College Alumnae Association Board during the virtual reception, held as part of Fordham’s virtual Jubilee weekend.

Kathy Higgins, MC ’71, received the Gloria Gaines Award, the board’s highest honor, given to an alumna for service to one’s church, community, and Marymount. Higgins’ service began as a student at Marymount, when she worked in the infirmary on the Tarrytown campus. For the past 30 years, she has worked for ARC Westchester, a nonprofit offering support to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities in Westchester, New York.

Higgins joked that some people would look at her paycheck and think she was a volunteer, but service and volunteering are what offer her “a true sense of community.”

“I love the work and consider it a privilege to be able to help so many wonderful families,” she said. “Marymount College made a huge impact on my life, not only for the wonderful education I received but also the incredible people I have met. It’s sad that the college we knew and loved is no longer in Tarrytown,” she said of the women’s college, which was part of Fordham University from 2002 until the college closed in 2007. “But I am thankful to those who are keeping the spirit of Marymount alive.”

Teresita Abay-Krueger, MC ’80, was honored with the Golden Dome Award, presented to the alumna whose efforts of continuous service have advanced Marymount as an institution.

While studying biology and chemistry at Marymount in the late 1970s, she landed an internship with Union Carbide Corporation—located close to campus—and that experience, along with some inspiration from three of her professors, spurred her into a 20-year career in research and development at IBM. After leaving IBM, she founded a New York-based consulting practice.

Accepting the award, Abay-Krueger said that, as a commuter student, she often wondered if living off-campus put her at a disadvantage. Today, she realizes that the personal attention and care she received from professors and administrators, and the bonds she formed with her classmates, inspired her to pursue excellence nonetheless.

“It’s always been about being surrounded by that intellectual environment in Marymount; whether I was with other students or with many of the professors, or even among the administrative people, there was always this drive for excellence and intellectual attainment, and I really appreciated that above anything else,” Abay-Krueger said.

“When you’re surrounded with determined, smart women all striving to be their very best, you can’t help but be inspired by that as well—and everyone on this call demonstrates that,” she said.

A Milestone Year

The board also recognized alumnae celebrating their 25th, 50th, and other milestone reunions—including two alumnae celebrating their 75th: Denise Kobel and Josephine Stigliano, both members of the Class of 1946. Though Stigliano was unable to join the event, Kobel tuned in with her granddaughter, Carolyn Budelman, MC ’04.

During the event, attendees got to take a “slide” down memory lane as they viewed photos and spoke about Marymount memories that had been submitted ahead of time. Event organizers also asked Tarrytown-themed trivia questions throughout the event, in honor of Marymount’s original campus location.

Paula Mahayosnand, MC ’93, president of the Marymount College Alumnae Board, said that while she wished they were able to gather at Fordham, she was nonetheless happy to be together in spirit.

“For more than a dozen years, we’ve remained committed to coming together on the Rose Hill campus, meeting each other in person and celebrating our fellow alumni from across classes,” she said. “I don’t think we could have predicted we would be in this for another 16 months of the pandemic … but we have adapted, and here we are today.”

In a pre-recorded message, Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham University, welcomed the Marymount graduates home and congratulated them on their recent fundraising success on Giving Day, saying a record number of people contributed to the Marymount Legacy Fund—which the board created to provide scholarship support to young women at Fordham who “embody the Marymount spirit through learning and leadership.”

“The alumni community showed the power of their love for Marymount, their care for young scholarship recipients, and their commitment to the efforts of the members of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary,” he said. “More alumni donated this year than ever before. I applaud your efforts.”

Father McShane also congratulated this year’s award winners, and he echoed Mahayosnand’s wishes to see everyone in person sooner rather than later. “I hope that you’ll continue to stay connected, and that I’ll get to see in person again very soon,” he said.

Still, for Heather McWilliam, MC ’88, secretary of the Marymount College Alumnae Board, the virtual event was an emotional one.

“I didn’t expect the overwhelming feeling that I hope all of us are receiving by just sharing this moment,” she said. “I think all of us are here today sharing this event because of our love, and [because we’re]  cherishing moments of what Marymount represents and what it did for us.”

The fundraiser? An online auction, the third such event hosted by the Fordham College Alumni Association (FCAA), with a novel twist this year: celebrity alumni. Several offered virtual face time to the highest bidder, helping to propel the event far beyond its usual total.

The auction “gets bigger and better every year,” with all proceeds going toward scholarships and grants for students, said Debra Caruso Marrone, FCRH ’81, the association’s president.

It’s one of several events sponsored by the FCAA each year, complementing the broader efforts of the Fordham University Alumni Association, the Office of Alumni Relations, and other groups that serve students and the alumni community.

Founded in 1905, the FCAA is the University’s oldest alumni organization, and primarily serves Fordham College at Rose Hill students and alumni.

Contacting Celebrity Alumni

The idea of featuring celebrity alumni in December’s auction was driven in part by the pandemic, which put the kibosh on, say, auctioning off event tickets. “We really had to pivot,” said Christa Treitmeier-Meditz, FCRH ’85, who spearheaded the effort to reach out to various prominent alumni.

In the end, they were able to auction off a virtual comedy writing lesson with Saturday Night Live writer Streeter Seidell, FCRH ’05 (someone bought that for his wife, an aspiring comedy writer, Treitmeier-Meditz said). They also got help from some prominent alumni thespians: Golden Globe winner Dylan McDermott, FCLC ’83, contributed a virtual meet, and Golden Globe winner and former Oscar nominee Patricia Clarkson, FCLC ’82, contributed a virtual master class and a post-pandemic in-person engagement—dinner out and tickets to the next Broadway show she appears in.

People also contributed various items, memorabilia, or experiences, such as a master cooking class or a trip around Manhattan by yacht. “It’s everything and anything,” Treitmeier-Meditz said. “The Fordham alumni community is very generous.”

Other planned events were canceled due to the pandemic lockdown last year: a sit-down for a dozen alumni with John Brennan, FCRH ’77, former CIA director and counterterrorism adviser to President Barack Obama, and an event with sportscasters Michael Kay, FCRH ’82, and Mike Breen, FCRH ’83.

Through such events, the association has raised money for various funds, including a summer internship fund for journalism majors, recently renamed for Jim Dwyer, FCRH ’79, the New York Times columnist and Pulitzer Prize winner who died in 2020. A new scholarship fund named for Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham, is for students who reach new heights of academic achievement after arriving at the University.

The association provides other important support such as funding for undergraduate research and for student travel, noted Maura Mast, Ph.D., dean of Fordham College at Rose Hill. “I’m so pleased to see how that support has grown over the past several years,” she said. “I am grateful for their commitment to the college, to our alumni, and to the larger Fordham family.”

The association’s Giving Day gift—a matching gift—was split between two scholarship funds: the FCAA Endowed Legacy Scholarship, a need-based scholarship for legacy students, and the Rev. George J. McMahon, S.J., Endowed Scholarship, awarded to students at Fordham College at Rose Hill and the Gabelli School of Business.

Serving on the board is a labor of love, Caruso Marrone said. “We’re doing something good: we’re raising funds, we’re helping students go through school,” in addition to bringing alumni together at events, she said. “The members of our board [are] of various age groups, various backgrounds, various careers, [and] we all come together and do this work and enjoy it immensely. We have just a great group of people who are dedicated to Fordham.”

In an 1841-minute period from March 1 to March 2, 2,779 donors contributed just over $1.3 million to Fordham schools, initiatives, programs, and scholarships. Participants came from 44 states, the United Kingdom, and China.

This year’s Giving Day theme was “Imagine More,” and encouraged donors to help “change the world through Fordham and support causes that matter.”

Fordham Law School, the Fordham Greatest Needs Fund, and Athletics were some of the areas receiving the greatest support.

Individuals and groups, such as the Fordham College Alumni Association, offered matches to encourage participation and make donors’ contributions go farther. The alumni association contributed $30 for every graduate who donated, regardless of the amount, up to $30,000. More than 1,000 alumni donated to help unlock this challenge.

For the first time ever, the University also hosted a Marymount Giving Day, which raised over $28,000 from 106 donors. The donations will go to the Marymount Legacy Fund to help continue the legacy of Marymount College, provide educational access to students, and continue the efforts of the women of the Religious of the Sacred Heart of Mary.

Current Fordham students were also involved in the day through the Student Philanthropy Committee. They were encouraged to either make a gift or log volunteer hours in the community. Over the two-day period, Fordham students logged 2,165 volunteer hours, surpassing their goal of 2,021 hours. They volunteered in areas such as healthcare, homelessness, religious organizations, and more.

The annual campaign aims to raise funds for Fordham scholarships, sports teams, academic programs, and more through donations from alumni, students, faculty, and friends of Fordham. Like last year, the campaign will last 1,841 minutes in honor of the University’s founding year of 1841 and end the next day, March 3, at 6:41 p.m. As in years past, the goal of Giving Day is to give back to the community that has positively shaped the lives of thousands of Rams around the world. 

“I get to be a part of a really incredible community that wouldn’t be possible without our donors,” said Nicole Goldin, GABELLI ’22, the Student Philanthropy Committee Giving Day chair. “Everything on campus is partially funded by donors, whether it be our clubs, sports teams, GO! trips, the libraries where we study, or the Plaza at Lincoln Center. Those are really what add to the Fordham experience and the incredible community that we have here. I just think it’s so important to make sure you give back to the community that gives so much to you.” 

Three Perspectives: Why Giving Day Matters 

Last year, donors raised nearly a million dollars on Giving Day. Among the students who benefited from the support is Kaitlin Morley, a senior at Fordham College at Rose Hill who has played on the University volleyball team since her first year. 

“Giving Day supplies us with everything, basically. It really funds our program. It helps us get an extra pair of shoes for training, our bags and kneepads—everything,” Morley said.  

Thanks to last year’s donations, her team was able to travel to Italy this past spring and play against their international peers for two weeks—a rare opportunity for student-athletes, who often have limited study abroad opportunities because of their busy practice schedules, said Morley. The day after commencement, they flew across the Atlantic Ocean and visited Venice, Milan, and Rome. It was hard to hold long conversations with their Italian-speaking opponents, but they shared meals, including pasta and salad at a vineyard, and felt “united by one sport,” said Morley. All of these experiences wouldn’t have been possible without the support of donors, she added. 

“It really means everything to us. You feel their support, and you want to play harder for not only yourself and your teammates and coaches, but for the other people invested in the program,” Morley said. 

Among the donors who made their first-ever gift to Fordham on Giving Day 2019 were Leanne and Hugh Mohler, parents to Hughie, a sophomore in the Gabelli School of Business. Over the past two years, their son has flourished, said his mother. Hughie, the first in his family to attend Fordham, is studying accounting, playing club lacrosse, and flying to London next fall for a semester-long study abroad program, she said. 

“The main reason we decided to give was that our son is having a really positive experience at Fordham. He is very happy—and because he’s very happy, we’re very happy,” said Leanne.

It’s a sentiment shared by many alumni, including Brendan O’Grady, GABELLI ’13. When he was a student at Fordham, he said he learned from professors who not only helped him with academics and professional challenges but also personal growth. Those lessons helped him better communicate and care for his colleagues at Ernst & Young, where he works as a manager in digital strategy, he said. 

These days, O’Grady is giving back to Fordham. On Giving Day 2020, he’s sponsoring the Class of 2020 Challenge. (If 50 students or parents from the class of 2020 make a gift, O’Grady will donate $2,020 to Fordham.) This will be his third time sponsoring a challenge gift for Fordham’s Giving Day. 

“For me, it’s very important to make sure that I do what I can do to contribute and hopefully help other people have that experience,” O’Grady said.  

Other day-long 2020 Giving Day challenges include:

• Big Giving Day Challenge: If 1,841 people make donations, Trustee Darlene Luccio Jordan, FCRH ’89, and Gerald R. Jordan will donate $50,000 towards scholarships and financial aid. 
• Parent Challenge: If 250 Fordham parents donate on Giving Day, Michael Emerson and Kathryn Naassan, PAR ’20, will donate $5,000.
• Student Club Challenge #1: The approved club that receives the most gifts—no matter the amount—will earn $250.
• Spirited Selfie Challenge: Share a photo of yourself donning your best maroon-and-white gear. Ramses will pick one lucky poster and give $250 toward the Fordham cause of their choice. Make sure to use #FordhamGivingDay.
• All Things Cute Challenge: Share a photo of your baby—or fur baby—in Fordham gear, including #FordhamGivingDay and the area of the University that matters most to you. One post will earn an extra $250 for their cause.
• Campus Beauty Challenge: Post your favorite picture of the Fordham campus with #FordhamGivingDay. Make sure to mention your favorite Fordham cause in the caption—one person will earn an extra $250 for their program of choice.

Make your Giving Day 2020 gift here. Visit the Fordham Giving Day website for more information.

“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.

SPC is a student-run organization at both the Lincoln Center and Rose Hill campuses. It offers opportunities throughout the year for students to give back to the larger Fordham community through their time, energy, and donations.

“[It’s] a group of dedicated students working to create awareness and educate their peers about the importance of giving back to Fordham and its community,” said Kathryn Mandalakis, FCRH ’19, former senior class gift chair and current Fordham Fund Officer. “Our mission is more than just fundraising—it’s more about creating buzz and passion about giving back.”

The committee kicked off giving season on Sept. 24 with its annual Thank-A-Thon, a four-day tabling effort that encourages students to write thank-you notes to Fordham Fund donors. 

“One of the tenets we stress in our meetings is that it’s important to say thanks!” said Mandalakis. “It’s also just a great way for students to interact with our staff members and the Fordham community at large. We always ask students to write a thank-you note so they can more passionately support the cause.”

With the guidance of Fordham’s Office of Stewardship/Donor Relations, these Thank-A-Thon notes are sent to donors who support student scholarships, clubs and organizations, campus renovations, and other initiatives. 

The Student Philanthropy Committee not only provides opportunities to thank existing donors but also offers students the chance to become a part of the larger community of donors themselves by making gifts to the causes that have been most important to their student experience. 

“Being a part of the Student Philanthropy Committee allows me to talk to my peers about how impactful gifts of any size can be, and how impactful your time, energy, and focus can be in improving other people’s lives,” said John Morin, FCRH ’20, the Fordham College at Rose Hill senior class gift chair. 

A few of the opportunities available for students to learn more about giving back and the benefits of becoming a part of the donor community are the Senior Class Gift Kick-Off taking place in November, followed by Giving Tuesday on Dec. 3, and Fordham Giving Day from March 3 to 4. 

“Supporting the senior class gift is a great way to give back to Fordham before becoming an alum. It acts as a vote of confidence in a senior’s four years at Fordham and allows him or her to support the areas that have been most important throughout,” Mandalakis explained. “[It] also introduces students to the world of giving at Fordham in an approachable way while they’re still together with their classmates.”

Current seniors are encouraged to give $20.20 to represent their graduating year. However, seniors who give $50 or more over the course of the year are able to receive the benefits of Young Alumni President’s Club (YAPC), a giving society reserved for current seniors and alumni within 10 years of graduation. (YAPC alumni who have graduated within 1 to 5 years make annual gifts of $250, and for those who have graduated within 6 to 10 years, gifts of $500.)

Much like the President’s Club alumni, who have graduated within 11 or more years and have donated annual gifts of $1,000 or more, YAPC members are invited to exclusive donor receptions and celebrations hosted by Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of Fordham. This year’s YAPC members can look forward to an invitation to the President’s Club Christmas Party, where they will be able to meet longtime President’s Club members. They will also be offered the opportunity to attend a YAPC reception in April and a cocktail reception during Jubilee weekend in June, and they’ll receive recognition in the University’s annual honor roll of donors. 

“I love Fordham and what Fordham stands for, and I wanted to give back to this great institution,” said committee member Kaitlyn McDermott, FCRH ’21. “Joining SPC allowed me to find an outlet for philanthropic duties while learning valuable skills about being a woman for other people.”

–Chloe Meyer

“I got help from older students, especially my fellow Ram Van drivers, who helped guide me to the right courses and professors. The professors helped me find the right major,” he says, “and the alumni network helped lead me to the right career.”

Now Sutherland, a vice president of strategic client management at Morgan Stanley, wants to do the same for current students.

One way he does this is by encouraging more financial institutions to consider liberal arts graduates. As an economics major who minored in both political science and business administration, Sutherland says he was able to use the “critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills you learn as a liberal arts student” to succeed in his Morgan Stanley internship, which led to a full-time job offer.

In his current role, Sutherland often has to coordinate among multiple teams, something he feels Fordham prepared him well for. “You’re always challenged to find creative solutions at Fordham, to maintain a strong work ethic, and to collaborate. There are great candidates at both business schools and liberal arts colleges who can do that”

He got involved with the Young Alumni Committee’s philanthropy subcommittee and later joined the Fordham University Alumni Association (FUAA) Advisory Board, where he serves on a task force focused on Fordham’s reputation. “The way people think about Fordham is important for the student and alumni experience,” Sutherland says. “I want to be at the forefront of helping Fordham stay in the limelight.”

He also wants to help his fellow alumni reframe how they think about their place in the Fordham network. That includes telling all his fellow alumni and friends about this year’s Fordham Giving Day, which spans March 4 and 5.

“People don’t realize that the amount of donors is so important, no matter how much they give,” he says, explaining that the percentage of alumni who support Fordham is seen as a sign of just how much alumni value their Fordham degree. “If you can’t give $200, give $20, or give $2.50 instead of buying coffee,” he says. “It’s all impactful.”

More importantly, he hopes that telling his own story will inspire other alumni to donate to their alma mater. “Even with financial aid, I graduated from Fordham with a lot of debt,” Sutherland says candidly. But he says he would do it all again—the value of the degree, the friendships he made, and the network he created were worth it.

“I want to combat the negative stigma folks have about giving back when you have debt. And I want to afford other students the opportunity to go to Fordham and have these experiences with less debt,” he says. “I tell them it’s not about giving because you get something physical in return. It’s giving because when you were here, you got experiences and friendships for life.

“And if you can’t give financially, mentor a student. Hire an intern. There are other ways to give back and strengthen the Fordham network.”

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
Fordham is really what I’m most passionate about. I think the opportunities that were afforded to me, the classes I got to take and the people I got to meet, it shaped my education, my career, and my life. And I’m indebted to it. 

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
There are two, both from my parents. The first is that hard work pays off. I saw that this year when I got a promotion to vice president so early on in my career. And the hard work I do personally pays off because I get to represent organizations I love, like Fordham and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation.

The other one is that you need to be able to stand up for yourself and challenge the norm. I have always tried to do that, in the classroom and the workplace, and that’s helped me get to where I am today. I always had an opinion, didn’t really sit back quietly. Even though maybe something had always been done a certain way, I let my voice be heard if I thought I could provide insightful feedback. 

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
In New York City, I would say Central Park. I go up there for runs to clear my head, and it’s just so interesting that we have this green space here. It’s such a point of relief and relaxation in such a hustle-and-bustle city, especially working with finance.

In the world, it’s definitely Rome. I had a fantastic experience studying abroad there: took great classes, played on a Roman lacrosse team, built long-lasting friendships with the students I was with there from around the world. Some of my best friends are from study abroad, and I try to go back to Italy once a year.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
This is a tough one, but for a lasting influence, I think it’s The Great Gatsby, which I read in high school. What I got from it was trying to remember how precious life is, to see the true friends at hand—even though Gatsby had these huge parties, he only had one true friend in Nick—and to understand that material goods don’t fulfill your life. It’s making sure I don’t lose sight of what grounds me.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
Professor Booi Themeli. I took two Senior Values courses with him, so both centered on bringing the Jesuit identity and ideals and values into the classroom and into real-life situations. Those classes led to such great discussions. We would share thoughts about an opportunity or situation or problem and how we would handle it, and he would play devil’s advocate, and we would have to ask ourselves whether we were thinking about things ethically or economically, thinking about dollars and cents or the good of an organization. Those are decisions I have to make probably on a weekly basis at Morgan Stanley (whose four core values luckily align with the Jesuit identity), and Professor Themeli really drove those values home for me.

The all-day event aims to raise money for Fordham scholarships and financial aid through donations from alumni, students, faculty, and friends of Fordham. Unlike years past, the 2019 event features a new challenge: to garner the support of 1,841 donors in 1,841 minutes—in honor of Fordham’s founding year. All donations will support Faith & Hope | The Campaign for Financial Aid or the donor’s fund of choice. Rams have until March 5 at 6:41 p.m. EST to make a gift.

But the purpose of Giving Day extends beyond financial donations, says a Gabelli School student.

“Giving Day is more than fundraising for Fordham,” said Chirayu Shah, GABELLI ’21, the Giving Day chair of the Student Philanthropy Committee at Rose Hill. “It’s about making time to reconnect with Fordham.”

This year, Fordham will host evening Giving Day receptions on March 4 for alumni, students, faculty, friends, and future Rams at the Rose Hill, Westchester, and Lincoln Center campuses. From 12 to 1:30 p.m., the Rose Hill reception will launch a kick-off toast, courtesy of the Fordham athletics department. From 4 to 7 p.m., the Westchester reception will feature face-painting, caricatures, and a visit from Ramses. And from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., the Lincoln Center reception will provide refreshments and giveaways.

For the first time, there will also be a Giving Day challenge for Fordham’s 36 regional chapters. The regional alumni chapter that exceeds its participation goal by the highest percentage will win a free happy hour.

The Giving Day festivities also extend to social media. If you download and print out a Ramses cut-out, snap a photo of him in action, and share it on social media with #FordhamGivingDay and a Fordham tag, then $1,000 could be donated to Fordham in your honor, courtesy of Cathy O’Brien Skinner, FCRH ’89.

Other 2019 Giving Day challenges include:

• Big Giving Day Challenge: If 1,841 people donate during Giving Day, Trustee Darlene Luccio Jordan, FCRH ’89, and her husband, Gerald R. Jordan, will donate $50,000 toward scholarships and financial aid.
• Future Rams Challenge, 3–6 p.m. EST: Have a future Ram in your family? Use #FordhamGivingDay and post a photo of your child (nieces, nephews, or grandkids are fine, too!) dressed up in Fordham gear. Rob Howley, FCRH ’89, will donate $500 to Fordham in the poster’s honor.
• Cap and Gown Challenge, 9 p.m.–12 a.m. EST: Dig up your favorite Fordham graduation photos and share them using #FordhamGivingDay for a chance to have $500 donated in your honor, courtesy of Rob Howley, FCRH ’89.
• Love Is in the Air Challenge, 7–10 a.m. EST: Did you meet your significant other at Fordham? Post a photo of yourselves, using the hashtag #FordhamGivingDay. Thanks to Jessica Leto, GABELLI ’98,’06, FAC, and Michael Leto, GABELLI ’06, $500 could be donated to Fordham in your names.
• Pet Post Challenge, 10 a.m.–1 p.m. EST: Share a photo of your pet celebrating Fordham Giving Day while dressed in Fordham swag using #FordhamGivingDay. Ramses will pick one lucky photo at the end of Giving Day and $500 will be donated toward the Fordham cause of your choice, courtesy of Gerry Tenebruso, GABELLI ’13.
• Faculty and Staff Challenge, 1–4 p.m. EST: Which Fordham faculty or staff members changed your life? Give them a shout-out on social media and use #FordhamGivingDay for a chance to have $500 donated to Fordham in honor of you and your mentors, courtesy of Eileen Hornor, GSAS ’92.

Brendan O’Grady, GABELLI ’13, helped sponsor the Recent Graduate Challenge. (If 200 alumni from the classes of ’09 through ’18 make a gift, $2,000 will be donated to Fordham.) He said he owes much of his success to Fordham, particularly his mentors at the Gabelli School of Business.

“The leadership at Gabelli really took the time to get to know each and every student—what they were going to school for, what they wanted to achieve, and most importantly, pushed them not only to achieve that but to think a little bit beyond that,” said O’Grady, who is now a manager in digital strategy at Ernst & Young. “That’s something that I’m incredibly appreciative of.”

The past two Giving Days have surpassed Fordham’s original goal. Thanks to the generosity of donors, the past two fundraising events have collectively raised more than $1.4 million.

The philanthropists are also very diverse. Last year’s donors span four continents and almost every U.S. state. Two donors are members of the class of ’23; one alum is from the class of ’51. And more than 120 donors are from the classes of 2018 and 2019.

Hara Chung, GABELLI ’20, the Giving Day chair in the Student Philanthropy Committee at Lincoln Center, recalled meeting Judy Zoller, a donor at the 2018 Women’s Philanthropy Summit. Zoller and her husband had created a scholarship that paid homage to their son, a Graduate School of Education alumnus who died at age 39.

“After being able to listen to the donors and the reasons why they give, it impacted me emotionally,” Chung said. “I wanted to give back more, even though I’m [still]a student.”

“Fordham has given us all so many different opportunities, whether it’s the people we’ve met or the professors we’ve had or the internships that we’re able to have because we’re in the city. So to give back to Fordham would be to give back to the next generation.”

Make your Giving Day 2019 gift here. Visit the Fordham Giving Day website for more information.

Sarwar, who was born in Pakistan, came to Astoria with his family when he was in eighth grade. By the time he finished high school, he had earned a JPMorgan Chase SmartStart Scholarship, which covers four years of college tuition and provides recipients with a paid four-year rotational internship at the company.

“My personal passion is education,” says Sarwar, who earned a B.S. in finance from Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business in 2014. “It’s a guiding force for me. That’s the reason why my father and my family made a lot of sacrifices, so my siblings and I could come here to get an education that would help us and help other people.”

He says the internship combined with his Gabelli education prepared him for a successful career that gives him the capacity to support the people and causes he cares about. He’s now an associate on the investment risk team at JPMorgan Chase.

Sarwar hopes to spread his dedication to education in his role as a board member of Fordham’s Young Alumni Committee and chair of the Philanthropy Subcommittee.

“I want to help expand access to Fordham,” he says, “because I believe in a Fordham education. I believe in its ability to transform lives because I experienced that.”

Sarwar is particularly excited for this year’s Fordham Giving Day, a 24-hour push of support for the University from noon on March 6 to noon on March 7. “It’s a united platform for everybody to cheer and come together, and it helps people remember their Fordham experience and expand that experience to others,” he says. “I encourage young alumni to give whatever they can, to remember their ties to Fordham and the value of their own education.”

Besides his work on Young Alumni Committee, Sarwar also informally advises Fordham’s Model U.N. Club as well as the Muslim Student Association, a club he helped reinvigorate when he served as president in his first two years at Fordham. “I also still read The Ram almost every week,” Sarwar says.

Sarwar plans to continue his involvement with Fordham and is looking forward to seeing it “continue to grow in the next decades as a source of not only academic and professional leadership but moral leadership,” he says.

“I think our world needs people who are smart, but we also need people who can act and think morally. And that is at the core of Fordham as a University.” 

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about helping spread access to education. I believe it’s the key to a happy, prosperous, and welcoming society. My family and I have been blessed with the opportunity to climb the socioeconomic ladder due to the high quality education we have been lucky to receive, and I dream of a world where that opportunity is available to all.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 
Just before I left, one of my teachers in Pakistan asked me to always remember who I am and where I come from. Immigrants everywhere become de-facto ambassadors of their heritage, and he said to be mindful of that. His advice has helped me be a contributing member of the New York City community while retaining my identity.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
Despite being a New Yorker for half my life, I am still exploring this ever-changing city. So far, my favorite places have been the lakes and secluded wooded areas in Central Park which give the illusion of being far from the hustle and bustle of the city. In the world, my favorite place is the home I grew up in in Pakistan because of all the memories there that I continue to carry in my heart.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
I received The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho as a high school graduation gift from Maurya Couvares, one of my mentors; it’s been a source of inspiration since then. The quest to find one’s true self is daunting, but Coelho’s allegorical tale serves as a constant reminder to keep pursuing it. The book was the perfect prelude to a Fordham education, as the tenets we were taught complemented Coelho’s message.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
I was fortunate to meet Father Patrick Ryan during my first month at Fordham when I was hanging signs around Eddies for a Muslim Students Association event. He became an instant mentor to me and also advised the growing club. His guidance was instrumental in helping MSA go from an almost defunct club to being awarded Club of the Year. I have been in awe of his vast knowledge and understanding of Islam. His biannual McGinley Chair Lectures bring together viewpoints from the three monotheistic religions and are the perfect embodiment of Jesuit values.