Opportunity Through

The cost of higher education continues to escalate, the U.S. college-aged population is set to shrink significantly in 2025 and COVID accelerated the declining interest among young people in hospitality careers. Fritz Knoebel is, therefore, competing for students in a highly challenging and competitive market.

Our ability to attract and enroll students to DU's hospitality program is increasingly dependent on our ability to provide scholarship funding. Students are applying to more universities than ever, and families are pitting universities against one another for the most attractive funding package. We are fortunate that Fritz Knoebel’s scholarship resources supplement the University’s resources, but they are more than just the icing on the cake. They provide Fritz students with merit scholarships and truly critical need-based awards.

Last academic year was the fourth in a row that our juniors and seniors received scholarship support sufficient to eliminate their student loans. This level of support is possible only because of the generosity of our scholarship donors. Over the last 15 years, Fritz Knoebel has gone from six named endowed scholarship funds to 31. During the past academic year, we added four new endowed scholarships. I am pleased and proud to share information about them and the donors.

David

DU alumnus Tim Benolken (BSBA 1981) realized he wanted to pursue a career in hotels and restaurants after working part-time as a dishwasher in New Jersey in his youth. As a DU student, Benolken focused intensely on his grades and continued to work to put himself through school. He enjoyed a very successful career spanning several roles in the industry—from busboy to chef to general manager to director of food and beverage to director of housekeeping. Recently, Benolken retired from a 30-year career with Hilton Hotels as the vice president of operations for the western U.S.

After many years of supporting DU, Benolken and his wife, Janice, created the Benolken Family Endowed Scholarship Fund to support hospitality students in perpetuity. “I received a great education at DU,” Benolken says. “We are happy to give back to deserving students and a program that helped build the foundation for my career.”

The DeSalvio Family Endowed Scholarship was established in 2021 by Robert “Bob” DeSalvio (BSBA 1978). It supports hospitality students based on demonstrated financial need and/or academic merit.

“I am proud to support the students at the University of Denver with this scholarship,” DeSalvio says. “The time I spent at DU helped shape my career and personal life and helped me understand the true meaning of the hospitality business. Providing resources to the future leaders of our industry gives me great joy, and I wish nothing but the best for any future scholarship recipients.”

Michael A. Morton (BSBA 1987) recently made an endowed scholarship gift to benefit hospitality students, beginning in fall 2022. Through the Michael A. Morton Endowed Scholarship Fund, Morton aims to give future generations of students the dynamic experiences of a DU education like he had.

“I’ve always told my children that DU’s programs and education are amazing, and the freedom in college to find independence is so important,” Morton says. “That’s the opportunity I want to give to students. I’ve always wanted to give back. I hope this will help ease the pressure for some students, so they can find lifechanging experiences like what I had.”

Morton’s gift supports students based on demonstrated financial need. Because the scholarship is endowed, it will benefit DU students in perpetuity, giving generations of students the opportunity to learn and prepare for successful careers. “My time at DU was four of the best years of my life,” Morton says. “And I hope for the same for the students receiving my scholarship.”

Created in 2022, the Thomas D. Ricca Endowed Scholarship Fund honors adjunct faculty member Tom Ricca’s (MBA 1969) distinguished career in hospitality design and his longtime commitment to Knoebel students’ education in this area.

Contributions from donors include Ricca and his wife, Ronnie Bray, as well as many of Ricca’s colleagues, family and friends.

“After a half-century of teaching, I am excited that this scholarship might be able to help some future students to be able to afford the wonderful education that DU provides,” Ricca says. “It is a legacy I am really proud of, and I am thankful for all the people who have contributed.”

This fund set the record for the fastest multi-donor endowed scholarship to $100,000 in gifts and commitments. Ricca is a beloved and respected professor and, in less than a month of fundraising, people came together to fund this endowment.