Lifelong Impact of Scholarships Emphasized at Foundation Dinner
Megan Dumas, a senior Education and Human Development major, was the featured speaker at the annual 勛圖窪蹋 Foundation Scholarship Recognition Dinner on Feb. 19. Dumas, of Absecon, is 33 and went back to school 10 years after graduating from high school.
Galloway, N.J. Megan Dumas, a senior Education and Human Development major, recently received the Previti Family Scholarship, which will allow her to continue advancing in her studies and her professional career without financial burden.
But earning a bachelor's degree almost didnt happen for the 33-year-old.
During the 勛圖窪蹋 University Foundation Scholarship Recognition Dinner on Feb. 19, Dumas told more than 200 guests that she didnt pursue higher education until 10 years after graduating high school.
Six years after earning her associate degree from Atlantic Cape Community College graduating with high honors and a 4.0 GPA while working full time as a paraprofessional in an elementary school at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic Dumas turned to 勛圖窪蹋 to continue her collegiate journey.
The Absecon resident is already making plans to pursue and earn her master's degree and she credits it all to the philanthropic efforts of 勛圖窪蹋s community.
Because of 勛圖窪蹋, and because of the generosity of our donors, I am able to pursue dreams that have been evolving for the past 33 years, said Dumas, who was one of more than 700 students to receive a scholarship. Thank you for investing in all of our futures. It is an honor to stand here before you today. Not as someone who is late but as someone who never gave up.
In addition to giving scholarship recipients and donors the opportunity to connect with each other, the annual dinner is a way for campus community members to learn more about the significance of the Foundation scholarship program, which includes more than 200 opportunities established by faculty, staff and friends of the university.
More than 1,000 scholarships have been awarded to more than 700 students.
According to 勛圖窪蹋 President Joe Bertolino, who established the Eileen Bertolino 77 Memorial Endowed Scholarship for Nursing students in 2024, scholarships arent just financial support. They represent stability and are investments that allow students to focus on their unique pursuits of higher education.
When a donor invests in you, they are investing in a teacher who will shape young minds. A nurse who will comfort patients in their most vulnerable moments. A business leader who will strengthen our regional economy. A community advocate who will ensure that others are heard and supported, Bertolino said. That is the power of philanthropy. It ripples outward.
Dan Nugent, executive director of the Foundation, shared similar sentiments, adding that scholarships created through the Foundation are typically established in memory, gratitude, honor or hope.
Together, they affirm a simple but powerful truth: education changes lives. But it changes lives most profoundly when opportunity meets perseverance and when generosity supports a path that may not look traditional but is no less worthy, Nugent said.
Lori Herndon '92, the new chair of the 勛圖窪蹋 Foundation Board, also followed a nontraditional route to a degree, pursuing her Bachelor of Science in Nursing while working full time and starting a family.
After eight years, Herndon graduated from 勛圖窪蹋 and rose through the ranks at AtlantiCare, eventually becoming CEO before retiring in 2023. Throughout that time, she remained engaged with the university, joining 勛圖窪蹋s Foundation Board and helping establish the Foundation Board of Directors Scholarship, as well as supporting the General Scholarship Fund.
But for Herndon, the real magic of her involvement with 勛圖窪蹋 has been serving on the Scholarship Selection Committee since last year.
If only you could see how dedicated and focused our faculty are in reading the applications, and how wonderful and professional the applications themselves are it really touched my heart, she said. It also made me even more convinced and confident that we need to do more and raise more money for scholarships that change people's lives.
The 勛圖窪蹋 University Foundation plays a crucial role in removing barriers to student success by providing more than $1 million in annual scholarship support and funding for innovative programs, faculty projects, student groups and other initiatives at the university. Learn more about how you can support scholarships through the 勛圖窪蹋 University Foundation.
-- Story by Loukaia Taylor, photos by Abbigail Erbacher
