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Kia Thornton-Miller ’16 is up against quite a few challenges in life. The 36-year-old mother of two separated from her husband and is currently on disability. However, Thornton-Miller is also the recipient of The Newcombe/Ruscick Family Endowed Scholarship and on November 2, she was all smiles as she wrote a thank-you card to her benefactor.

“I am so grateful to be able to have this help because without it, I wouldn’t be able to finish school,” said the elementary education major. “When I say grateful, I mean I cried in the financial aid office when they told me.”

Thornton-Miller was one of 141 students who attended the Sixth Annual Scholarship Information Session Luncheon, which is held each year in advance of the Thanksgiving holiday. That afternoon, freshmen, sophomores, juniors and seniors filled The Duncan Family Sky Room, penning handwritten heartfelt words of appreciation and gratitude to their respective donors who had enabled them to pursue their education at Saint Peter’s.

One of them was education and psychology major Maria Vidal ’16 who sat near Thornton-Miller. The two had just discussed how the scholarships changed their lives. Vidal was awarded The Peter J. Riccardo Endowed Scholarship.  “This scholarship really helps out my family,” added Vidal. “My parents have to provide for both my education and my brother’s so I am really grateful for this generosity.”

Michelle Perez ’16 is no stranger to the annual scholarship luncheon and has received financial aid and scholarships throughout her Saint Peter’s education. This year, she received three:  The James A. Cardiello ’36 Endowed Scholarship, The Alpha Sigma Nu Scholarship and The Rev. Robert Gannon, S.J. ’36 Scholarship. As a student whose family experienced financial hardships throughout her childhood, Perez emphasized just how important each gift has been in her pursuit of a bachelor’s degree in political science while minoring in anthropology and philosophy.

“Every single one has contributed to my ability to finish my education,” she added. “It’s a blessing for people out there to give back to others they don’t even know.”

For Ana Bueno ’17, receiving The Hudson County Community College Scholarship played an important role in enabling her to become the first person in her family to attend college. She mentioned how honored she was to be a student of a university that ranked fifth in the nation by MONEY® Magazine for “Colleges That Add the Most Value” and described her experience at Saint Peter’s even more rewarding.

“It’s a big thing [to be named fifth in the nation for “Colleges That Add the Most Value” by MONEY Magazine] — it makes you proud to be here,” added the elementary education major. “And knowing you have these supporters behind you, you just feel right at home.”

Meanwhile Scott Rogers ’19 and Michael Young ’16 sat at table writing their own thank-you cards, expressing how much each of their scholarships helped alleviate the financial burden off their families. Rogers and Young were recipients of The Hugo F. and Eileen L. Poiani Annual Awardable Scholarship and The Theresa and Edward O’Toole Scholarship Fund, respectively.

“It really means a lot and it helps my family out a lot,” said Rogers, a criminal justice major. “My family is grateful for it and I’m grateful for it —it made things a lot easier in choosing where to pursue my education.”

Young echoed Rogers in expressing appreciation for how much his scholarship was alleviating financial stress from his mother. Like many students there that afternoon, the business and marketing major wasn’t sure he would even have the opportunity to pursue his education if it weren’t for his scholarship.

“I’m in the same boat as them — my mom and I don’t come from a lot of money,” he added. “And I love how friendly all the professors are here. There are also smaller classes, which makes it easier to get one-on-one attention if I need it.”

Erica Gentile ’17 recalled how excited and happy she was when she discovered she was the recipient of The William J. Mulcahy, S.J. Scholarship Fund and The Frank Powell ’61 Endowed Scholarship Fund. At the time, she had been at Rutgers University in Newark and had discovered Rutgers eliminated her field, molecular biology. At first upset, Gentile realized it was a blessing in disguise because she then was able to pursue her true passion, nursing, at Saint Peter’s.

“I remember calling Saint Peter’s in front of my advisor and asking if the scholarships were still available. They said yes and I immediately said ‘I’m going to Saint Peter’s,’” she added. “I’m majoring in nursing now and I love it.”

While the name of each scholarship varied, each student had the same thing to say to the benefactors who provide them: thank you. These students are already on the path to success, but many still need financial assistance to obtain an education. For more information on how to fund a scholarship, please contact Robert Koch, advancement officer for gift stewardship, at rkoch1@saintpeters.edu or (201) 761-6112.