This matching challenge will inspire a new wave of philanthropy and generate up to $3 million in student support.

Randi and Steve Piaker

Rochester Trustee Steve Piaker ’84 and his wife, Randi, have committed $1 million to launch a new scholarship challenge benefiting undergraduates at the University’s Hajim School of Engineering & Applied Sciences and School of Arts & Sciences. The Piaker Family Scholarship Challenge has the potential to generate up to $3 million in financial aid for students with demonstrated need.

The Piaker Challenge is designed to spark generosity and amplify impact through matching gifts—encouraging others to start endowed scholarships of their own. For each new endowed scholarship that qualifies, matching funds will be added to increase the total scholarship value. For example, if a donor contributes $100,000, the Piaker Challenge will contribute an additional $50,000—bringing the fund total to $150,000. Likewise, if a new donor makes a $67,000 commitment, the Piaker Challenge will add $33,000, for a total value of $100,000. Each year, a portion of the fund’s value will be used to provide student aid, ensuring ongoing support, while the principal remains invested to benefit future generations.

“We are grateful to the Piakers for��making this generous gift and��inspiring��others to give too,” says Rob Alexander, vice provost and University dean of enrollment.��“Because of the Piakers’��leadership—and the support of others who will join them—many students will receive the financial aid��they need to access a Rochester��education, now and for years to come.”

“Like so many other alumni, my time at Rochester was truly transformative,” says Steve. “It was—and still is—a special place for me. Randi and I are honored to make this gift knowing it will serve as a force multiplier. Establishing a matching fund is a powerful way to help others maximize the impact of their giving. Together, we can support even more students.”

A legacy of student support

Steve and Randi have a long history of supporting Rochester’s undergraduate students. In 2020, they established an endowed scholarship through the Nataraj Scholarship Challenge, an initiative launched by Rochester Trustee Naveen Nataraj ’97 and his wife, Courtney, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Within a year, that challenge raised $2.6 million and created 22 endowed scholarships—illustrating the power of matching challenges. “It’s our hope that this new challenge will have a similar impact,” says Steve.

The Piakers have also supported students through the Brady Scholars Program, established by Elizabeth Pungello Bruno ’89, another Rochester trustee and alumnus as well as a parent of a Rochester graduate. This is one of the University’s premier scholarship programs, providing ongoing financial support and individual academic advising, peer mentoring, and special academic and social opportunities.

“Rochester students share an ethos,” adds Steve. “It’s a real community here, full of young adults with a passion for learning—students who are intellectually curious, socially engaged, and rooting each other on. It’s a privilege to make a gift that adds to this momentum.”

Another inspiration for the couple’s support is Steve’s father. “As a World War II veteran and son of immigrants, he was only able to go to City College in New York because it was free,” says Steve. “He was always grateful for that opportunity and worked so hard to provide for his family and give back to the community supporting innumerable causes. My parents sacrificed a lot to ensure that my brother and I could attend a university of our choice. Attending the Ģ����ý and graduating without a mountain of debt was a privilege. Underwriting this challenge—and providing financial assistance to students over the years—has been a meaningful way for Randi and me to honor my parents while helping students realize their full potential.”

Committed to excellence and education

Steven Piaker is co-founder and managing partner of Ten Coves Capital, a financial technology- focused growth equity firm based in Darien, Connecticut. He has more than 30 years of experience investing at the intersection of technology and financial services. Before forming Ten Coves, he served as co-head of Napier Park Financial Partners, was among the founding partners of Napier Park Global Capital, and served as managing partner at CCP Equity Partners. He also held various investment positions with Conseco Inc., GE Capital’s leveraged buyout division, and Chase Manhattan Bank. Steve received a bachelor’s degree in economics from Rochester and an MBA from Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, and he holds the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

Steve has served on the University’s board of trustees since May 2024 and is a member of its investment committee. A former trustee of the Jewish Community Foundation of Greater Hartford, he serves on the boards of Cassini Systems Limited, Inbox Health Corp., PointPredictive, Inc., and Steeleye Limited. The Piakers are longtime members of the George Eastman Circle, the University’s leadership annual giving society.

Gifts from Ron Fielding ’73 (MA), ’76S (MBA), ’18 (Honorary) and University Trustee Juan Jones ’88S (MBA) will support education and career success.

Ron Fielding ’73 (MA), ’76S (MBA), ’18 (Honorary) and Ģ����ý Trustee Juan Jones��’88S (MBA) have each made new $1 million gifts to support students at Simon Business School, advancing their ongoing commitment to education and student success.

“We are grateful for these exciting investments in Simon’s future and offer our sincere gratitude to Ron and Juan for their unwavering support over the years,” says Simon Dean Sevin Yeltekin. “Both have consistently expressed how impressed they are with our students and recognize the importance of nurturing the impact they will have on our future. Their generous contributions reflect their belief in our students’ potential and their dedication to fostering the next generation of business leaders and innovators.”

Ron Fielding ’73 (MA), ’76S (MBA), ’18 (Honorary) has committed $1 million to the Ronald H. Fielding Scholarship, which complements the he established in 1996—a program that provides full tuition to qualified MBA candidates. Fielding’s new gift builds upon the growing list of Simon students who become successful alumni in the Rochester community and around the world.

“Simon taught me to connect economic concepts with business realities,” says Fielding. “That knowledge proved crucial throughout my career, so I’m happy to give back to the institution that laid such an important foundation.”

Yeltekin adds, “Simon alumni have long been recognized for their outstanding academic and professional credentials and, like Ron, are interested in making a significant impact in the world. We are grateful to him for providing such important additional support.”

Juan Jones��’88S (MBA)��has committed $1 million to Simon in support of various initiatives that will contribute to the school’s success. His gift will establish the Juan C. Jones Scholarship Challenge, a matching gift fund that Simon will use to create new scholarships for qualified students, with a preference for those with financial need. The Jones Challenge is designed to encourage others to establish up to 10 new George Eastman Circle (GEC) scholarships and up to 13 new endowed scholarships. Regarding the Jones Challenge, Yeltekin says that it is a “great example of how philanthropy can be directed to address and support some of Simon’s biggest priorities—accessibility and education innovation—while inspiring others to get involved.”

Jones’ gift will also establish the Juan C. Jones Innovation Fund to provide unrestricted, immediate support of innovative programs that Simon leadership deem crucial to the school’s success. Additionally, Jones has designated part of his gift to his existing Juan C. Jones Endowed Scholarship. Established in 2020, this was Simon’s first endowed scholarship supporting students recruited to the school through the . Amending his original gift makes it possible for Simon to provide additional scholarships each year.

“As the first in my family to attend college and graduate school, and coming from a modest military background, I understand the transformative power of education,” says Jones. “The accessibility and affordability of my education at Simon and through the Consortium were life-changing and put me in a position to be successful. The rest was hard work, dedication, the support of my family, and some luck. I created this challenge to inspire others to give, ensuring students with limited means have the same opportunities I did.”

Talent, drive, and donor generosity fuel the ambitions of this scholarship recipient

Budge is the recipient of multiple scholarships, including significant support from the Joyce Osborn Violin Scholarship, made possible through the generosity of Joyce Osborn and the Wegman Family Scholarship Challenge.

By the time Ashni Budge arrived at the , she’d already dedicated most of her life to music. She started playing the violin at just three years old. When she was five, she added the piano to her repertoire.

At about that same time, Budge’s family discovered that she had perfect pitch. Budge attributes that to her grandmother, a professional Chinese opera singer. “She taught my younger brother and me to sing,” says Budge, who grew up outside of Los Angeles. “I have vivid memories of the two of us performing and of me putting on operas for our family.”

In middle school, Budge joined the band and, even though it didn’t have a string section, she wasn’t deterred. That’s when she picked up the clarinet, which she continued playing throughout high school. She joined the choir, too.

When it came time to decide on a college, Budge knew Eastman was for her. She was drawn to its renowned reputation and that it is part of the URochester, a leading private research university with a flexible undergraduate curriculum. She was also excited to travel and live on the other side of the country.

Being a scholarship recipient has made it all possible for Budge. “Without the generosity of others, I couldn’t afford to be here,” she adds. “I can’t believe that people who don’t even know me have provided me with scholarships. Someday, I hope to help others in a similar way.”

Budge and Nicholas Garcia-Hettinger ’24E, a Hamlin Family Scholarship Fund recipient, in the Wolk Atrium, Eastman School of Music

In the meantime, Budge is taking advantage of every opportunity. Not only is she an applied music major studying violin at Eastman, she is also a psychology major and brain and cognitive sciences minor at the University’s School of Arts & Sciences. Along the way, she’s performed in live-to-picture renditions of Danny Elfman’s Batman, cofounded a string quartet with friends, called the Avant Quartet, and earned the prestigious position of concertmaster for the Eastman Philharmonia. Budge has been recognized for her academic achievements, too. She’s on the dean’s list and was inducted into Psi Chi, the International Honor Society for psychology students, as a sophomore.

In 2022, Budge and her quartet participated in what’s become a life-changing experience for her: Eastman-to-Go. This one-semester chamber music course provides select ensembles opportunities to bring music into the Greater Rochester community, with a focus on presenting classical music to new, young audiences. Budge loved it, and so did the people with whom she interacted.

For instance, at the Dr. Charles T. Lunsford School No. 19, one of the schools they visited, Budge’s influence was so significant that she was invited back for the 2023–24 academic year to give violin lessons to fifth graders. “Working with them has been among the best experiences of my life,” says Budge. “We even played a few pieces with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra over the winter holidays, which was a thrill for us all.”

Next up for Budge? In the short term, she’s practicing for a Sibelius violin concerto and a performance of Schubert’s Cello Quintet in C Major. Long term, she hopes to go to graduate school for music. She’s even considering law school someday.

Whatever Budge does, she knows music will always play a part.

Alexander A. Levitan ’63M (MD) and his wife, Lucy, have given nearly $10 million—more than any living donor—to support the medical experience of students from around the world

Lucy Levitan and Alexander A. Levitan ’63M (MD)

Inspired to make education and research experiences possible for students at the URochester’s School of Medicine and Dentistry (SMD),��—a retired internist and oncologist—and his wife, Lucy, have given nearly $10 million to the school. Their philanthropy makes them the largest living donors in SMD’s history who have supported the medical experience of students from around the world through scholarships and fellowships.

But for the Levitans, supporting students goes far beyond financial assistance. They offer friendship, advice, and mentorship, long after the students have earned their degrees. They save every communication sent, attend their weddings and other major life events, and even travel abroad to meet the families of the international students whose lives they’ve changed.

Just ask Akosua Korboe ’16M (MD), the inaugural recipient of the . As a student from Ghana, Korboe was ineligible for federal loans without a US citizen co-signer. Thanks to the Levitan Scholarship, she was able to pursue her dream of attending medical school. Today, she is an accomplished internist at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston.

“Without the Levitan’s support, I would not have been able to attend medical school,” says Korboe. “And although they aren’t my biological family, they feel like they are to me. “They have become family, pouring into me in countless ways, instilling values, believing in me, and always providing me with love and support. I’m forever grateful.”

Generosity brings generosity

Support from others has inspired Levitans to make education and research experiences possible for 19 students to date and many more to come. “Education has been the most valuable experience of my life,” says Al, who was a scholarship student at SMD and at Cornell University. “Without the generosity and the example of others, I never would have earned my degrees and I never would have had the life nor the career I’ve had.”

The couple started supporting SMD in 1976 with gifts to SMD’s annual fund and the Class of ’63’s reunion fund. Their specific support of students began in 2006, 43 years after Al’s graduation from medical school.That’s when they made a gift of $125,000 to establish the Levitan Scholarship. They have continued to contribute generously to that fund, growing its value and reach. In fiscal year 2023, they added an additional $5.2 million, ensuring that a Levitan Scholar graduates and joins the medical school each year, in perpetuity.

“The Levitan Family Endowed Scholarship stands out not only for its size but also for being the sole need-based full tuition and living expenses scholarship at the school, with a special focus on supporting international students,” says David Lambert, MD, senior associate dean of SMD. “These international students are not eligible for the kinds of support that US students can get and without the scholarship could not attend medical school.”

A legacy of giving and learning

The Levitans with Akosua Korboe ’16M (MD)

Al and Lucy also established the Alexander and Lucy Levitan Endowment for Medical Student Research Fellowships with a gift of $1.7 million. Because this fund exists, three medical students every year can take a year out of their four-year SMD curriculum to participate in a research program under the direction and mentorship of an established physician-scientist or basic scientist.

“Many of our alumni have shared that these experiences were career-transforming,” adds Lambert.

The family knows this from experience. Al’s father, Sacha, received financial support from the French government when he emigrated from Russia to France and attended college and medical school there. Later, Al’s family traveled the world due to his father’s work with the World Health Organization.

Al and Lucy named funds at both SMD and Cornell as ways to recognize the importance of scholarship support and international experiences and to honor Al’s father and the couple’s late daughter, Lara, who lost her battle with cancer in 2019.

“The story of Al and Lucy is one of inspiration and compassion, a testament to the power of giving and its potential to change lives,” adds Mark Taubman, MD, Ģ����ý Medical Center CEO and dean of SMD. “Their philanthropic legacy will forever resonate within the medical school, empowering future generations of students to realize their dreams and make a difference in the world of medicine and research.”

In turn, the couple gets to enrich their own lives with connections to people they view as members of their extended family.

“We are tremendously grateful for the support given to us,” says Lucy. “We have always wanted to give back in a similar way—to provide access and opportunities to talented, deserving medical students from around the world. As a result, we have met so many brilliant young people who will do great things in their lives and careers.”

Insights from Dr. Michael Recny ’79, business leader and former Rochester football player

Dr. Michael Recny ’79

For 40 years, Dr. Michael Recny ’79 served in various leadership roles in the biotechnology industry, including CEO of Calvert Holdings. Throughout his career, he and his teams have conducted pioneering biomedical research resulting in the development of innovative, life-saving FDA-approved drugs to treat HIV/AIDS, cancer, and anemia.

While Recny is now mostly retired, he continues to serve as the president of Calvert Research, an investment subsidiary of the company he helmed for many years. Reflecting on his career, Recny recognizes the profound impact of the lessons he learned on the football field at Rochester, lessons that helped shape him into a strong leader.

Recny didn’t come to Rochester to play football—he came as the recipient of a Joseph C. Wilson scholarship interested in the University’s rigorous academic program, particularly in the life sciences. “When it came to football, I was unknown,” he says. “During the first week of college, a current player said the football team needed more players. He knew I played one year in high school and suggested I try out.”

Recny took his advice, made the team, and then rode the bench for two years. Unbeknownst to him, his performance—his commitment during practice, the effort he exerted, and his interactions with the team—caught the attention of his late coach, the legendary Pat Stark.

In Recny’s junior year, Coach Stark gave him a shot to start. By the end of his senior season, Recny had earned the team award for Outstanding Back on Defense. At the same time, Recny had also designed his own interdisciplinary scientific major, enabling him to pursue unique coursework and independent laboratory research opportunities at both the River Campus and the Medical School.

Recny’s innovative approach to his education led him to create a distinctive, interdisciplinary undergraduate degree program. This paved the way for his admission to a top-ranked PhD biochemistry program at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. His academic journey continued to flourish as he earned a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard Medical School and eventually became instrumental in launching and assuming leadership roles in multiple successful start-up biotech companies.

“In our lives and careers, each of us has an opportunity to play a vital role in every team we are part of. Football taught me invaluable lessons about the significance of always giving 100 percent—both on the field, and in professional settings.”

Answering the call to care

Kaitley Wozer ’18N

Since graduating from the Ģ����ý (SON) in 2018, Kaitley Wozer ’18N has plunged into her career, moving back to serve her hometown community of Buffalo, New York as a labor and delivery nurse. While working, she’s also pursuing her doctor of nursing (DNP) practice degree.

As a student, Wozer was the recipient of the McLouth Scholarship, an award established in 2002 with a gift from the estate of School of Nursing supporter, Charles McLouth III, which provides scholarship assistance to nurses with high potential who need financial aid.

Scholarships are critical to attracting and retaining the best and the brightest students, ensuring that they not only can attend the SON, but that they can stay. Wozer’s story is just one of many that demonstrate scholarships can make all the difference to lift those who answer the call to care.

“I chose the Ģ����ý’s School of Nursing because of its excellent reputation, overwhelmingly positive personal accounts from current and former students, and the ability to start my new career in nursing in such a short amount of time,” she says. “I appreciate every penny of my scholarship, and I can assure you that I will return that generosity in my own work.”

Here, Wozer gives an update and talks about her latest passions, pursuits, and personal growth.

How has your life changed since your graduation?

I graduated from the School of Nursing five years ago. That’s when I returned to my hometown to be with my family and started working at Buffalo General Medical Center on a med/surg/tele unit. I was there for two years, including the first six months of the COVID-19 pandemic. My SON education prepared me well and made my transition to practice smooth.

Now, I work at the nearby John R. Oishei Children’s Hospital as a labor and delivery nurse, where I assess and treat high-risk laboring patients, perform operating room circulation for cesarean sections, work in the obstetrics triage center, and evaluate and treat medical complications in the peripartum period. In my nursing experience, I have also practiced as a nurse preceptor, oriented new nurses, and served as a charge nurse on my units.

In the last few years, I also got married and had my first baby, who is now 13 months old!��

In what ways have you continued learning?

In the fall of 2020, I went back to school to pursue my DNP degree at the University at Buffalo in the Family Nurse Practitioner program with the desire to provide care across the lifespan. I am halfway through my program and about to start my clinical rotations with expected graduation in May of 2025. I am in school part-time so that I can continue working at the job I love in the hospital while studying.

I have also really enjoyed my role as a graduate assistant, where I work with undergraduate nursing students to teach them clinical skills in the laboratory setting. I also assist with simulation exercises in med/surg, pediatrics, obstetrics, and end-of-life care by running scenarios and leading debriefing sessions. I love guiding the undergraduate nursing students, because it brings me back to my time at SON, where clinical simulation scenarios greatly enhanced my learning and our clinical skills labs set the foundation of my nursing skills that I use every day at the hospital. I feel privileged to contribute to the education of my future coworkers and people who will care for those in my community.

What is something you’ve learned in the last few years about yourself?

I have always known that I’m someone with too many interests for my own good—so I thought. When I switched from my former career path in virology research to nursing, I was nervous that I would just want to switch to follow some other passion in a few years.

What I have realized now in is that nursing is the perfect field for someone like me who has many interests and passions. If you discover an area that interests you, you can switch specialties without requiring another degree. If you want to increase your depth of knowledge within your specialty, you can go on and receive a nursing certification or attend continuing education seminars, which are in abundance. If you want to teach, you can do so at the bedside with your patients, you can precept new nurses, or earn another degree in nursing education. If you find you like to lead and manage, you can become a nurse manager, a charge nurse, or the head of a committee at your hospital. If you like research, you can conduct quality improvement research projects right on your unit without switching jobs or earning another degree or go back to school for your PhD or DNP in nursing. If you want to change the level at which you provide care, you can go back to school to become a nurse practitioner.

Where do you see yourself a year from now?

I plan to continue working as a labor and delivery nurse and continue teaching in the undergraduate nursing program. Once I graduate, I hope to work in an outpatient women’s health clinic. Eventually, I also want to teach in undergraduate and graduate-level nursing programs.

What do you find most rewarding about being a nurse?

I see nursing as the most rewarding profession there is. When you have the heart for it, nursing allows you to give every cell of your being to caring for others, which fills you with joy, fulfillment, and breathes life back into your tired body at the end of a shift. Nursing asks you to think critically, collaborate with other health care professionals to solve problems, and to be the eyes, ears, nose, and hands at the bedside.

— Emily Gillette, April 2023

Recipients of the John and Mary Celentano Endowed Scholarship

James Marshall ’21E (MM) and Belle Ra in front of a portrait of John Celentano in the Cominsky Promenade outside Kilburn Hall.

James Marshall, a viola player from Washington, and Belle Ra, a cellist from Texas, love all things music—especially chamber music. Both are pursuing advanced degrees at the : Marshall, his doctorate in music, and Ra, her master’s. For the last two years, they have been part of Eastman’s graduate chamber seminar, which has given them opportunities to learn from great teachers, collaborate with other musicians, and perform recitals in beautiful venues such as the school’s Hatch Hall.

The musicians’ chamber experience has been funded through a scholarship established by John Celentano ’37E, ’41E (MM) and his wife, Mary, who died in 2017. Before his death in 2009, John Celentano was a violinist and professor emeritus of chamber music at Eastman. The
Celentanos were passionate about supporting chamber music and the opportunity for talented musicians to study with world-class faculty.

Marshall and Ra are doing both. As a result of being in the graduate seminar, they have participated in several chamber groups and are now playing together in a piano quartet.
Their instructors coach them, but all the musical decisions are up to them. The foursome plays music by a range of musicians, too, from Debussy, a 19th-century French composer, to contemporary composers like Danny Elfman, who has scored more than 100 feature films.

Chamber music dates back to the late 17th century as a form of classical music composed for a small group of instruments, usually a trio, quartet, or quintet. It started with such greats as Bach, Haydn, and Mozart, and it was usually played in a palace chamber or a large room.

“In a chamber group, there’s no one to cover us, which provides a very different experience than playing in an orchestra,” says Marshall. “I enjoy both types of playing, but in an orchestra, the conductor calls the shots. In the quartet, we do.” Adds Ra, “Playing chamber music complements the experience of being in an orchestra and performing solo, which is rewarding but can be isolating. In our quartet, we work hard and challenge and learn from each other. It has
created such a bond between us.”

It was after a high school performance that Ra knew she wanted to dedicate her life to music. That’s when an audience member told her how moved to tears she was by Ra’s performance. The young musician then realized the impact of music on people’s lives and knew she wanted to
pursue a career in it.

Ra was drawn to Eastman for its reputation and because she wanted to study with one particular instructor: Steven Doane. “He is a great performer and teacher,” says Ra, who is also a recipient of the Lowell and Sally Weitkamp Merit Scholarship Fund. “I play better because of him, and, by
example, he teaches me pedagogical skills.”

Marshall felt similarly called to play music, having fallen in love with the viola’s deep sound during a summer music camp in high school. At Eastman, Marshall studies with Masumi Per Rostad. “I met him at a winter camp in 2019 and was captivated by his performance,” he says.

“Learning from Professor Per Rostad has transformed my playing, given me a new way of thinking about music, and taught me how to play to the audience.” After completing his studies,
Marshall plans to pursue performing and teaching. Because of the Celentano scholarship, Marshall and Ra can focus full-time on their music and do not need to work part-time jobs or take out additional loans. Both are incredibly grateful. “I can attend Eastman because of the support of people like the Celentanos,” says Ra.

Class of 1981 Internship Endowment

Rob McIntyre, an Emmy award-winning supervising sound editor and sound designer, and Grace Stensland ’23 in Gavett Hall’s recording studio.

Grace Stensland ’23, a Syracuse, New York, native, grew up loving movies, photography, and Broadway shows. When it came time to choose a college, she was drawn to Rochester for its open curriculum, which she knew would give her many opportunities to explore her broad interests. Working as an intern in the summer of 2022 helped her hone those interests, too, and find her niche—an experience made possible by the Class of 1981 Internship Endowment.

Stensland found her internship by tapping into her network, which she learned how to do at her work-study job at the . “Working at the Greene Center during my sophomore and junior years gave me insight into the importance of networking, interviewing, and professional communication,” she says. “So, when it came time for me to look for an internship, I reached out to my audio engineering professor, Stephen Roessner. I knew he had a friend in Los Angeles who worked in the entertainment business, and I asked him to connect me, which he did.”

Roessner’s friend is Rob McIntyre, an Emmy Award-winning supervising sound editor who cofounded Sound Rebels, LLC, a Burbank, California-based audio post-production company that provides sound design and mixing services for animated television, movies, and reality TV. McIntyre and his business partner, D.J. Lynch, interviewed Stensland over Zoom and she aced it, securing the summer-long internship.

The internship was a great fit. Every day, she worked on such projects as Nickelodeon’s Middlemost Post, a kids’ comedy series; Paramount+’s Big Nate, a kid’s series created by Nickelodeon; and Netflix’s Inside Job, an adult-oriented science fiction series. Her primary responsibilities included editing sound effects, creating ambient sounds, and maintaining client services.

Sound Rebels even tasked Stensland with a special project: to sound design eight minutes of an episode of Inside Job. “I’ve been a big fan of this show for a long time,” she says. “It was such a thrill to go from watching it to actually creating sound for it, especially for such a big segment within an episode.”

Toward the end of the summer, McIntyre and Lynch approached Stensland about coming on board full-time after graduation as a sound editor. “I loved every minute of my internship, so being offered a full-time job left me speechless,” she says. “I did manage to say yes, though, and I can’t wait to start working there full-time.”

Stensland adds, “Even though many internships pay an hourly rate, it’s often not enough to cover other expenses,” she adds. “That was certainly the case for me. Los Angeles is expensive, and I never would have been able to afford housing and food without the assistance of the Class of 1981 Internship Endowment.”

This experience led to my dream job right out of the gate, which is incredibly rare for people graduating and hoping to work in film and television. The funding support I received gave me a head start on my career, and I couldn’t be more grateful.”

Learn more about how funded internships open doors to graduate schools, career paths, and personal growth.

Byrd and Eva Waller Scholarship recipient

Fredricka Amoah ’26 studies at one of her favorite spots on campus, the in the Rush Rhees Library

Fredricka Amoah ’26 has always dreamed big. When she was a little girl, she aspired to be a doctor and even the president of the United States—she wanted to do something that would help people and make their lives better. Her mother encouraged her aspirations, often reminding all five of her children to do their best, have far-reaching goals, and never forget where they came from.

Amoah’s roots extend from New York City to West Africa. She was born in the Bronx, where she spent most of her childhood and teenage years. Between the ages of five and nine, though, her family moved to Ghana, where her mother is from and where her aunts, uncles, and grandparents still live. Amoah loved it there and returned often for extended visits.

Over the years, Amoah has heeded her mother’s advice about education. She’s worked hard and consistently earned excellent grades. She was even valedictorian of her high school. When it came time for college, her principal, Liz Runco ’05, told her about Rochester and its rigorous academic program. She liked what she heard.

Amoah is now a first-year student here and the recipient of the Byrd and Eva Waller Scholarship. This is awarded to a deserving student who maintains an excellent academic standing and requires financial assistance. She is planning to major in optics, a field she learned about during a pre-college summer program offered through the University’s Early Connections Opportunity program.

“When I applied to Rochester, I was thinking pre-med or maybe engineering,” she says. “But then I saw an optics demo, which was given by a teaching assistant, and something sparked in me—I never even knew what optics was and now I want to know everything about it.”

During the fall semester, Amoah took classes in calculus, chemistry, writing, and optics–that was her favorite. In her optics lab, she learned how light can affect objects. For instance, in one assignment, Amoah and her classmates used a laser-cutting machine to etch the Meliora symbol onto a glass surface. Experiences like these are affirming Amoah’s career aspirations.

“Someday, I’d like to either build telescopes for NASA or work for Apple designing cameras for iPhones,” she adds. Outside of class, Amoah stays busy. She likes playing pickup games of volleyball with her friends, studying in her secret spot inside Rush Rhees Library, and working on assignments with classmates in the Barbara J. Burger iZone. Amoah is also part of the Optics Student Council and the Pan-African Students Association, which is focused on building and growing a diverse and accepting culture at Rochester. The Office of Minority Student Affairs has been helpful to her, too, providing her with resources as well as a community of like-minded people who support and can relate to her academic and life experiences.

Amoah credits her scholarship for making so much happen for her. “I’m incredibly grateful to Ms. Waller,” Amoah says. “It’s humbling and inspiring knowing that someone who didn’t even know me wanted to invest in my future. Someday, I hope to extend my hand to a student just like she has done for me.”

Photo: Matt Wittmeyer

From computer science to the Korean language, this first-year Black Alumni Network scholarship student is exploring it all

Mervyn Winn ’26

A few years ago at the height of the pandemic, Mervyn Winn ’26—one of the Black Alumni Network’s first two scholarship recipients—was a high school sophomore with some time on his hands. That’s when he started watching Korean prank videos, which are popular on YouTube and social media.

Winn thought these videos were really funny and well done. His appreciation for them prompted a curiosity about the Korean language and culture, one that became so strong that he decided to learn Korean, which he’s been doing completely on his own through self-study.

“The Korean language made sense to me from the beginning,” says Winn, who started piecing together sentences very quickly. “I’m drawn to systems and patterns, like the ones I see in the Korean language. Learning Korean isn’t like studying for me either—it’s just fun.

Language fascination

Winn’s continued learning Korean as a first-year Ģ����ý student. He took one class in the fall and is taking another one right now. He also spends a lot of time at the Language Center within Frederick Douglass Commons, where he practices his Korean with a peer tutor. Some evenings, Winn participates in an online conversation exchange with English and Korean speakers from around the world. Together, they practice their conversational language skills while learning about each other and their cultures.

Winn is fascinated by all sorts of languages, too, including computer language. “There’s a huge intersection between computers and language, and I’m excited to be here at Rochester where I can explore both,” he adds, noting that he’s interested in taking a computational linguistics class. Before starting to learn Korean, Winn even taught himself computer programming, an interest that grew out of a youthful enthusiasm for video games. He’s even considering majoring in it.

Growing up

Winn grew up in Brooklyn, New York, and started gaming when he was about eight years old. “I grew up pretty poor and my neighborhood wasn’t the safest,” he says. “My sister, brother, and I didn’t play outside much. Because of that, my brother and I got really close playing video games together, which is what launched my interest in computer science.”

Everything about gaming fascinated Winn. “When I was 10 years old, I begged my mom to take me to the Barnes & Noble near where she worked,” he says. “I wanted to get this one particular 2D game design book so I could teach myself how to make my own computer games.” Fortunately for Winn, his mom got him that book. After reading it, he made his first mini 2D game, which featured flat graphics, which means that players can typically just move up and down as well as left and right. Winn loved it and wanted to learn more.

As a junior in high school, Winn was accepted into a summer coding program for underrepresented youth hosted by Goldman Sachs, the investment banking company. He and a small group of young, knowledge-hungry, self-motivated students spent five weeks building an expense management app together. “That was such a cool experience,” he says. “And, even though I hadn’t taken any formal classes in coding or computer science up until then,, my interest continued to grow.”

His Rochester experience

When Winn started thinking about college, he knew he wanted to go somewhere that had a strong computer science program. His high school counselor told him about the URochester. Winn liked what he learned about Rochester. He was drawn to its strong computer science program, the variety of language classes offered, the open curriculum, and the number of international students on campus. He wanted to meet people from diverse backgrounds and, now that he’s here, he’s been doing just that. Some of his best friends are from Germany, China, Africa, and, not surprisingly, Korea.

Winn is excited for his future at Rochester. He hopes to pursue undergraduate research, get an internship, and study abroad. In the meantime, he’s taking it all in. When he isn’t in class, studying, online, or honing his Korean, he can be found at the Goergen Athletic Center working out, enjoying a sub from Rocky’s in the Pitt, or doing something fun with friends off-campus. He is also part of the Korean Student Association, a group with whom he enjoys Korean food nights, playing games, and singing karaoke.

With gratitude

Winn is grateful to the Black Alumni Network for its support. “This scholarship is an honor, and it helps make the cost of college less of a burden for me and my mom,” he says. “It’s the first time I’ve been given something like this, too, which is really humbling.” Winn is also grateful to his mother for working hard to make college possible for him. During school breaks, he takes the eight-hour Amtrak train ride home to visit and, every week, he FaceTime’s his mom. “She misses me a lot but is proud and really happy I’m here,” he adds. “So am I.”

Photo: Matt Wittmeyer

Learn about the Black Alumni Network’s other scholarship recipient, Nadia Niyogushima ’26.