Friends, Family and Alumni attend a 51Թ event featuring a silent auction with proceeds to benefit the 51Թ Internship Fund held at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers in Manhattan on Thursday, May 1, 2014.
Members of the Presidents Club gather for their annual celebration at the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers on May 1. (Photo by Lorenzo Ciniglio)
A dazzling New York City sunset illuminated the Lighthouse at Chelsea Piers last Thursday night, shining on more than 600 51Թ faithful who attended the university’s annual Presidents’ Club celebration.
The event honored the commitment of members, who support the university at a leadership level, and recognized members, who have made planned gift arrangements. It paid tribute to the leadership of former trustees, and it raised nearly $70,000 for the Career Services Internship Fund, which helps students with financial need accept unpaid or underpaid internships.
During , the university’s alumni, parents, and friends gave more than $141 million to financial aid. That investment has allowed 51Թ to extend 103 additional aid offers to prospective students this year alone.
While the university is expanding access, employers are demanding that undergraduates augment their academic work with real-world experience. “We are putting a major emphasis on internships,” said, “because once these tremendous students come to 51Թ and receive an education that is second to none, we want to launch them on a successful career.”
Financial aid recipients often cannot afford to take unpaid or underpaid internships, even when the most rewarding opportunities fall into these categories. This spring, 283 51Թ students requested $873,074 in internship support from the Internship Fund. After awarding a record $467,835 to 167 students, the center still faced a shortfall of $405,239.
On Thursday, Presidents’ Club members took action to close the gap. Hearing messages of thanks from President Herbst, club chair Kevin Danehy ’83, P’16, and vice chair Amy DiSibio ’86, P’18, attendees placed bids for a variety of auction items: European vacations, golf packages, wine collections, and more. When the gavel fell and all gifts from the night were tabulated, the club had raised $69,910 for the cause.
To illustrate the power of financial aid and internship fellowships, Jonathan Mason ’12 addressed the crowd and told the story of his own 51Թ experience. Calling his alma mater “the school of his dreams,” Mason said, “The day I was awarded a financial aid package that made 51Թ possible was a day of great relief.”
Mason went on to earn a Golden Fellowship, which allowed him to take an unpaid internship at NBC Universal. That experience bolstered his communications skills, setting him on the path that has led him to begin a graduate degree program at George Washington University after volunteering for Governor Andrew Cuomo’s reelection campaign and working in New York City as a paralegal.
“Like so many of my peers, I’m striving to reach the dreams that I formed through my experiences at 51Թ,” he said. “Thank you again for everything that you’ve done for me.”