Biology major Angel Munoz ’14 was one of 80 students who attended the third annual Scholarship Information Session Luncheon on Wednesday, October 17, at Saint Peter’s University. He sat at one of the tables set up in McIntyre Lounge for the luncheon and proceeded to write on a blank “Happy Thanksgiving” greeting card, which was distributed as part of the session. Not only did Munoz’s message embody the spirit of the Thanksgiving season, his words also summarized the purpose of this very special day.
Munoz’s card was just one of the many heartfelt thank you notes freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors authored to the University’s scholarship donors as a means to give thanks for the financial opportunity to attend Saint Peter’s. A recipient of The Greer F. Henderson ’54 Memorial Scholarship, he knows first-hand how crucial this aid can be, and how one person’s generosity can change the course of a young adult’s life.
“Money isn’t something that’s common in my household,” he said. “I’m a first-generation college student, so it’s kind of a big deal. The students at this event are trying to get a good education to not only to make our parents proud, but to also make something out of our lives so we can start a legacy for future generations.”
Although he said “words can hardly describe how grateful I am to have this scholarship,” his thank you note did just that with a simple, yet extremely appreciative, message to Barbara E. Henderson-Toivonen, wife of the late Greer F. Henderson ’54 – a graduate of Saint Peter’s who passed away in 2003. Henderson-Toivonen is the benefactor of the annual scholarship.
Munoz said if he ever had the opportunity to meet Henderson-Toivonen, he “would shake her hand and tell her thank you.”
“It would be an honor to meet her,” he continued. “She saved my life in a sense because God knows where I would be if I was stuck with loans and debt.”
Other students in attendance shared this same sentiment. While writing thank you notes and enjoying lunch, they exchanged stories about the impact of these scholarships. Some students relayed that due to this financial assistance, they are the first in their families to attend college. Others expressed how grateful they were to have someone help alleviate a portion of their financial stress.
Such is the case with Jessica Solorzano ’16, a recipient of The Alice and Francis X. Hagan Endowed Scholarship. For Solorzano, a freshman majoring in urban studies and public policy, the scholarship has a profound impact on two lives.
“This scholarship means a lot to me because I want to be able to have a career and be financially stable,” she said. “I have a daughter, so I would like for her to look up to me because I have a degree.”
When addressing the students, Eugene J. Cornacchia, Ph.D., president of Saint Peter’s University, explained that donors find it incredibly valuable to hear these stories directly from students.
“It’s what keeps them engaged and keeps them wanting to give back to the University, in particular with student aid and scholarship programs,” he said.
Even though they varied in age, background and ethnicity, these scholarship recipients shared one unique perspective: they were incredibly thankful for the kindness of those that walked the halls before them, and were eager to someday be as generous and selfless to future Peacocks.
For more information on how to fund a scholarship, please contact the Office of Advancement and External Affairs at (201) 761-6111.
Angel Munoz ’14, a recipient of The Greer F. Henderson ’54 Memorial Scholarship, writes a thank you note to the scholarship’s benefactor, Barbara E. Henderson-Toivonen.