SOAR Campaign Donors Are Changing Lives

When Saint Joseph’s University announced its $300 million SOAR campaign, financial aid was a top priority. Scholarship and financial aid funds are powerful. They change lives for the better and directly improve both the caliber of the student body and the quality of the overall academic experience. 

The SOAR campaign has since crossed over the $200 million mark. Of the funds raised thus far, more than $68 million has been directed toward financial aid. Since 2017, the University has increased the number of endowed scholarships available by 30.3%, with 84 new endowed scholarships being introduced through SOAR alone.

But numbers only tell part of the story. To fully understand the way SOAR is making a difference at SJU, scholarship donors and the students they support were asked to talk about how these funds have changed their lives – from both perspectives. 

James W. Barrett Scholarship 

Awarded to a student who attended an Archdiocese high school

Donor: James W. Barrett, BS ’64

Recipient: Lauren Greer, BS ’28

Q: What does providing/receiving this scholarship mean to you?

Barrett: There is no greater gift than the opportunity to pursue a college degree. The statistics are staggering — in today’s world, a college degree means a significant difference in lifetime income, job prospects and, most importantly, a greater appreciation of what impact learning will have on the rest of your life.

I wanted to help someone have the same educational opportunity I had at St. Joe’s and this scholarship ensures I can provide this support to a deserving student.

Greer: Receiving this scholarship has given me the opportunity to attend a private, academically strong school that I would not have been able to — or may have been more difficult for me — otherwise. This scholarship means I can enjoy not only college itself but, more so, the career path of becoming a physician assistant without the added stress of financial burdens holding me back.

Edward J. Brady Scholarship 

Provided every year to a student who is heavily involved with the Faith Justice Institute

Donor: Joseph Forish, BS ’75, and Marie Ward Forish, BS '75 (deceased)

Recipient: Daniel De Lude, BS ’25

Q: What impact has Saint Joseph’s had on your life?

Forish: At St. Joe’s, I learned to think critically and to challenge conventional views. I stretched myself – intellectually, emotionally and spiritually, and it changed my life profoundly. Were it not for the scholarship aid I received myself as a student, I would never have been able to attend St. Joe’s and get my degree. Funding this scholarship is my way to “give back” and to allow others to experience the benefits of a St Joe’s education in much the same way I did.

De Lude: SJU has had a huge impact on my life over the past four years. It has opened my eyes to social, economic and environmental justice issues and given me practical – although not easy – ways to make my own impact on these complex problems. Saint Joseph’s Faith-Justice Institute has allowed me to find a community of like-minded individuals who all strive to affect change through global charity and justice.

Mary Lou Finlayson Quinlan Scholarship 

Awarded to junior or senior students who were asked to write an essay about how they have been empowered by women in their schooling or home lives

Donor: Mary Lou Finlayson Quinlan, BA ’75, H ’07

Recipients: Sophia Borrello, BS ’25 (answer below); Katie Kulha, BS ’25; Malak Sebti, BS ’25; and Renee Fosco, BA ’26

Q: Harkening back to the essay question for this scholarship, how have you been empowered by other women?

Quinlan: My entire career has been guided, powered and energized by women — colleagues, bosses, employees — and certainly, more than a few good men. Women expect so much of themselves and I always wanted to rise to their expectations and exceed them, and then to
turn to the next woman on the ladder to transfer my hopes and energy to her.

Back in 1975 when I graduated, we were pioneers in a new land – only the second class of women to graduate from St. Joe’s. I intentionally chose SJU because I knew I was headed for the corporate world where I’d be working alongside men and I wanted my college experience to mirror that. It prepared me to feel comfortable being the only woman in a room, the first woman in a position. Breaking through barriers with grace, humor and persistence was second nature to me thanks to the Class of ’75.

Borrello: The women in my life have empowered me since day one to pursue my dreams and strive for an expansive education. Since childhood, my mother and grandmother have challenged me academically until I flourished into a self-motivated student who expected nothing but success, because they had ingrained that mindset in me. For that, I am forever grateful. Since being a student at SJU, my female friendships and mentorships have challenged me to take on challenging projects, explore new disciplines and be independent in all of my endeavors. I look forward to empowering the women in my life and growing the network of support that I established here at SJU as I embark upon medical school at Sidney Kimmel Medical College this summer.