Hearts & Minds: The Saint Peter’s University Scholarship Celebration Raises Money for Transformational Scholarships

Last week, the much anticipated Hearts & Minds: The Saint Peter’s University Scholarship Celebration praised the successes of Saint Peter’s alumni while raising money to support the dreams and aspirations of students. Honorees for the Monte Carlo themed night included Warren C. Fristensky ’74 and Julie Delaney Fristensky ’73, for loyalty to alma mater, Robert J. Goldstein, M.B.A. ’60, ’06, for loyalty to alma mater and Elnardo J. Webster, Ed.D. ’69, for service to community.

Hearts & Minds celebrates integrity, leadership and service to others. Proceeds from this annual event support the University’s General Scholarship Fund, which helps deserving students have access to a quality Jesuit education. The annual Hearts & Minds celebration makes it possible for students who may not have the means to afford college to take a chance on their dreams.

Leah Leto, M.Ed. ’05 vice president for advancement and external affairs, stressed that even though the student population at Saint Peter’s is diverse, 98 percent of them share one commonality – receiving financial aid. The ultimate goal of Hearts & Minds is to raise money to support the University’s General Scholarship Fund, which helps the University remained focused on the students. The night featured Monte Carlo themed casino games and a silent auction with a special opportunity to support the Jane Moulton Reuter ’72 Needy Student Emergency Fund, which provides financial assistance to students facing severe and unexpected hardships so that they may continue their Saint Peter’s education without interruption.

Elnardo J. Webster, Ed.D. ’69 received the service to community award; he is the director for the University’s Center for After School and Expanded Learning, whose mission is to promote after school programs and expanded learning opportunities for students in the surrounding community. Webster is a retired superintendent for Roselle public schools and has served on the Saint Peter’s Board of Trustees. In addition, he was on the renowned 1967-68 “Run, Baby, Run” men’s basketball team, which advanced to the NIT Semifinals. Webster went on to play professional basketball and is a member of various Athletic Halls of Fame, including Hudson County, Newark, Saint Peter’s University and Naismith College Basketball. Through Saint Peter’s University and the help of local charities, he was able to put together an after school program serving hot meals to those in need.

“Thank you, Dr. Cornacchia, for encouraging me and allowing me to have this opportunity so that I can make more opportunities for students,” said Webster.

Robert J. Goldstein ’60, M.B.A. ’06 received the loyalty to alma mater award. Goldstein is the founder and consultant for R J Goldstein & Associates, Inc., an employee benefits brokerage and consulting firm. He graduated from Saint Peter’s with a bachelor’s degree in math and more than 40 years later returned to campus to earn his M.B.A. in 2006. He has served on numerous boards and councils, including the Board of Regents, which he chaired, the Board of Trustees and the Executive Committee at Saint Peter’s. For a number of years he also chaired the Business Symposium Committee.

“I got so much out of my time at Saint Peter’s and as much as I love math, I am not going to try to quantify it,” said Goldstein.

Warren Fristensky ’74 and Julie Delaney Fristensky ’73, were also presented with the Loyalty to alma mater award. Warren retired as CIO and senior vice president at John Wiley & Sons and serves as regent emeritus at Saint Peter’s, of which he was recently chair. As chair, Warren was instrumental in helping to produce new initiatives for students through the Office of Career Engagement and Experiential Learning. Julie has had successful careers in teaching and banking and served on the Alumni Board at Saint Peter’s. This musical couple can be seen on campus frequently as they are organizers of Glee Club reunions and SCHOLA concerts and Julie performs regularly with the Arts on Bergen program. For the first time in Hearts & Minds history, the Fristenskys sang their acceptance speech.

“Oh, we love the halls of ivy that surround us here today and we will not forget tho we be far far away,” said Julie and Warren Fristensky.

To see photos from the event, click here.

The event was made possible by the following generous sponsors: Kevin Cummings & Patricia McQuillan Cummings ’77; Genova Burns LLC; Aramark; Capital One Bank; KPMG LLP; Proskauer; Torcon, Inc.; Izdihar A. Baker Charitable Foundation; Collins Building Services Inc.; Connell Foley LLP; Culinary Ventures Vending; Pfizer; Provident Bank; PSE&G; Sodexo Campus Services; Erbach Communications Group; Hackensack Meridian Health – Palisades Medical Center; Inglesino; Webster, Wyciskala & Taylor, LLC; Liberty Savings Federal Credit Union; Thomas P. Mac Mahon ’68; National Sorority of Phi Delta Kappa; ndVOR Solutions; New Jersey Natural Gas; Eugene P. O’Connell Esq. ’70; PepsiCo Foodservice; The Sherwin-Williams Company; The Spanarkel Browne Granizo Group; Merrill Lynch and Staples, Inc.