The Barbara Carr McKee Scholarship Luncheon

The Barbara Carr McKee Scholarship Luncheon is an annual event that celebrates our scholarship recipients and recognizes the thoughtfulness and generosity of our benefactors.   The Luncheon, held on a Friday in April, features opening remarks by University President Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., a speech by a scholarship recipient, a speech by a scholarship donor, and a showcase of excellent student work.   The event is attended by scholarship recipients, scholarship donors, and the students who created the work on display. The Luncheon is organized by Kathleen Ryan, Assistant Director of Development for Stewardship.

2013 Scholarship Luncheon  

In her speech at St. Bonaventure University’s 2013 Barbara Carr McKee Scholarship Luncheon, scholarship recipient and honor student, Leanna S. Chojnacki,’13, thanked donors for the many opportunities that their generosity had funded.

Chojnacki, a Political Science and International Studies major with a double minor in History and Law & Society, thanked “those who have donated the gift of education…for giving me the means that I needed to become extraordinary.” She detailed her transformation from a shy 17 year old to an accomplished, soon-to-be college graduate.

The annual Barbara Carr McKee Scholarship Luncheon offers a unique opportunity for St. Bonaventure University donors to witness the culmination of a year of hard work by deserving scholarship recipients. This year’s luncheon, held on April 26 in the Robert R. Jones Board of Trustees Room in Doyle Hall, featured 18 student showcases displaying special projects that they had completed throughout the academic year. With more than 100 individuals present, the event was both illuminating and edifying.

Marianne Letro Laine, L.H.D.,’68, provided the keynote address. Laine is a longtime supporter of St. Bonaventure University. She was named the inaugural chair of the Guild for the Regina A. Quick Center for the Arts in 2004 and remains its Chair today. As a result of her commitment to the Quick Arts Center, the West Gallery was renamed the Marianne Letro Laine Gallery in May 2010. She aids in funding exhibitions, arts education, and other Quick Center projects and continues to chair the Quick Center Guild. She and her husband, Erick, endowed the Mrs. Mary A. Letro Memorial Scholarship in 2011 and The Joseph A. LoSchiavo Endowment for Exhibitions in 2012. 

In her address, Laine urged students to “always remember the wonderful honor you’ve been given.” She reminded the students in attendance that they too could endow a scholarship and “pay it forward” to help ensure that future students are able to pursue their own passions as well.

During the 2012-2013 academic year, 435 deserving and promising students were awarded. The students in attendance at the luncheon represent a selection of St. Bonaventure’s most academically impressive and socially conscious individuals. The assistance of scholarships continually allows extraordinary students to pursue a high-quality education and give back to their communities. These students welcome the opportunity to thank the donors who have made their impactful contributions to the future of the university possible.

Listings of St. Bonaventure's... 

All of St. Bonaventure's endowed scholarships and annual scholarships are also listed in a permanent display called The Scholarship Wall of Recognition, located in the Doyle Dining Hall.

To create an endowed scholarship at St. Bonaventure University, please contact... Kathleen M. Ryan Asst. Director of Development for Stewardship St. Bonaventure University P.O. Box 2500 St. Bonaventure, NY 14778 Phone: (716) 375-2308 or (800) 664-1273 Opt.3 E-mail: kryan@sbu.edu

 Special thanks to our
Barbara Carr McKee Scholarship Luncheon
corporate sponsor
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