Until 1976, scholarships were unnecessary for generations of “City College downtown” and Baruch College students, who attended tuition-free. Today, scholarships make a profound difference in students’ lives. Below are excerpts from letters written by current students to the alumni who fund their scholarship. Their words prove that the gift of a scholarship pays hefty dividends to donors as well.
“Six years ago, when I came to this country, I worked as a parking attendant, security guard, and taxi driver. Two years later, I went back to college, believing in the transformative power of knowledge. Today I have excellent prospects of being employed by one of the Big Four accounting firms. What made this possible is the culture of success established by this formidable institution and the support and generosity of people like you.”
—Abubakar Ahmed (’12), M. Freddie Reiss Scholarship
“When I was told that this scholarship was awarded to me, I almost cried. I can undeniably, unquestionably, and indisputably say that you saved me. The Stanford M. Dinstein Scholarship not only helped me begin my college career, it has helped me begin my life.”
—Jeremiah Gongora (’15), Stanford M. Dinstein Scholarship
“For someone like me, born in a small Belarussian town with a population of 10,000, it is a great achievement to get a job offer from the biggest asset manager in the world. My hard work, motivation, and support from thoughtful people like you brought me here.”
—Volha Chabatkova (’12), Louis J. Capelli ’58 Scholarship
“Baruch has enabled me to realize that the sometimes unattainable may, in fact, be achievable.”
—Alisa Rudy (’15), Roger and Susan Hertog Honors Scholarship
“I am grateful for the people who have influenced me and helped further my career, like the many talented professors whose classes I’ve taken and also donors like you, without whom it would have been very difficult to achieve my goals. Your commitment to giving has inspired me. Whatever I find myself doing professionally, I will always find a way to make a positive contribution to the world.”
—Jhaneel Lockhart (’12), Harnisch Foundation Journalism Scholarship
Ahmed and Rudy photos by Amalia Reinhardt