Scholarship Brunch 2015 a Success
The inaugural theme for Georgian Court University President Joseph R. Marbach—Answering the Call: Transformation through Catholic Education—was especially appropriate as students, faculty, and donors gathered for GCU’s Annual Scholarship Brunch on Sunday, October 18.
“Education transforms individual lives,” remarked Mellissa Zanjani, Ph.D., CFRE, GCU vice president for institutional advancement, “and I am constantly amazed by the grace of our donors, faculty, staff, and alumni.”
For the last 15 years, the yearly event has honored student recipients and their scholarship donors.
Donor scholarships like those awarded to the honorees help make the average cost of tuition for the 2015–2016 academic year just under $18,000, a figure that positions Georgian Court as more affordable than many other state schools, including Rider and Rutgers universities, President Marbach stated in his opening remarks.
Every Gift Counts
For students like Jillian Conley, every donor gift makes a difference.
Jillian, a senior and a recipient of the C. R. Bard Nursing Scholarship, met Gerry Bellotti, vice president of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey, which oversees the scholarship. She was able to share that she currently works in a hospital oncology department as a nurse’s assistant, has post-graduate education plans, and intends to pursue a career as a nurse practitioner. She also emphasized how much her scholarship helps.
“The scholarship definitely lessened the stress of having to pay tuition,” commented Jillian, a nursing major. “With the help of this scholarship, I have the ability to work straight through my master’s degree, and it’s nice to be able to thank the person responsible for making that happen.”
The scholarship brunch serves not only as a way to honor students and recipients, but also as a way of creating personal connections between the pairs.
“I’ve been coming to this event for 10 years,” added Mr. Bellotti, “and it’s events like this that make our organization keep coming back.”
Click here for more photos from the event.
Story contributed by GCU English major Alexandria Graziosi ’15.
Every dollar donated for scholarships makes a difference. Learn how you can support scholarships for GCU students! E-mail the Office of Institutional Advancement or call 732-987-2232.
