Scholarship Donor Impact Book 2018

“ Since you cannot do good

to all, you are to pay special attention to those who, by the accidents of time, or place, or circumstances, are brought into closer connection with you.

“

– St. Augustine

Guiding our students toward a vibrant future I have witnessed how an education at Merrimack College can change young lives. Students here come to know themselves and discover and develop the gifts with which they have been uniquely blessed. In turn, they learn how their gifts can be used to pursue their own dreams, fulfill their own potential and respond and make a difference in the world. But financial realities can often stand in the way, which is why scholarship support is so critical not only to individual students but to all of us who will benefit from their great potential.

With a foundation based on Augustinian principles, our scholarship recipients are able to both forge their own paths while giving back to the greater community. We’ve included five of their individual journeys in this book.

Merrimack is an extraordinarily special place. There is an energy, enthusiasm and joy on this campus that’s unmistakable. With your support, we can continue to guide our students toward a vibrant future that might otherwise not have been possible.

With gratitude, Father Raymond Dlugos, O.S.A., Ph.D. Vice President for Mission and Ministry Co-Chair, Standing Up for Good | Together for Good Campaign

The 2017-18 Rogers

Center for the Arts season features more than 80 concerts, films, theater productions, lectures and gallery openings

GRIFFIN OSTROWSKI Class Year 2018 Hometown Plymouth, Massachusetts Major Theater Arts

Griffin has always loved the spotlight.

With the support of his scholarship, he has not only participated in Merrimack’s student-led theater group, the OnStagers, he has also performed in each of their theatrical productions since his Freshman year. A recipient of Merrimack’s Visual Performing Artist of the Year Award, Griffin has been cast as the lead in countless productions, and serves as a mentor for students who share his enthusiasm for theater.

His love of the stage is not bound by Merrimack’s campus. Griffin was selected three times by the regional Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival, a program that attracts students from colleges and universities nationwide. He also served as an acting apprentice at the prestigious Williamstown Theater Festival, home to one of the nation’s top professional development programs for aspiring theater artists.

Offstage, Griffin pays his scholarship forward by volunteering his time building stage sets and assisting his professor in an acting class. He also wrote an original radio play, “No Room,” that explores the moral dilemmas faced by New Orleans’ hospitals during Hurricane Katrina.

With raw talent, a strong work ethic and a passion for social justice, Griffin is thankful for the opportunities he’s had and excited for what lies ahead.

has meant everything “ Mytoscholarship me. It has given me an emotional

“

safety net that has allowed me to pursue my love for the theater, both on campus and off. I will always be grateful to Merrimack College and its passionate faculty for enabling me to follow my dream and make my mark.

ANDRIA AUGER Class Year 2018 Hometown Salem, New Hampshire Major Biology & Social Justice

Andria has always been committed to helping others through service.

From tutoring and mentoring fellow classmates, to inspiring her peers to achieve the highest academic standard via the Honors Program and immersing herself in Campus Ministry programs as a service trip participant and leader, Andria has been at the forefront of those who embrace the College’s mission to enlighten minds, engage hearts, and empower lives.

A recipient of the Walter V. Demers Sr. Scholarship, Andria has made the Dean’s List every semester. She was also awarded the Rob Costello Scholarship for biology based on academic merit and commitment to Merrimack. This enabled her to pursue several field-related opportunities at organizations, including Pfizer, Inc., Holy Family Hospital and Massachusetts General Hospital, where her responsibilities varied from evaluating patient care experiences to conducting experiments related to cancer cell function as a Junior Research Fellow.

With genuine devotion, care and compassion for those in need, Andria participated in multiple service trips, both in the U.S. and in South America, including volunteering at a medical clinic in Nicaragua. Andria continues her volunteer service by assisting with homeless outreach programs at the Greater Lawrence Family Health Center. She will undeniably leave a special legacy at Merrimack College.

“ My scholarship has given me

the opportunity to pursue my passions of science and medicine, social justice and service to others through countless academic and extracurricular opportunities.

This has allowed me to grow both as a student and as a person, giving me the tools to make a difference in the world.

“

More than 600 Merrimack students have received Bloomberg

Certification

through the Mucci Capital Markets Lab

PETER GORDON PANTELIS Class Year 2019 Hometown Newburyport, Massachusetts Major Corporate Finance & Pre-Law

A grateful recipient of the Roche Family Scholarship, Peter is a highly motivated student with a passion for finance and investments. As president of the Investment Club, he advises more than 85 students and prepares them to manage the newly established Merrimack Investment Fund, which has a portfolio valued at $100,000. Peter teaches them how to use financial models, find quality stocks and investments and give stock pitch presentations. This student-managed fund offers motivated students opportunities to gain hands-on portfolio management experience while developing their investment research skills.

Under Peter’s leadership, the students in the Investment Club utilize Bloomberg and other tools provided by the College’s Mucci Capital Markets Lab to conduct fundamental and quantitative analysis to research and execute their investment decisions. Peter’s dedication and mentorship has laid critical groundwork from which the Investment Club, The Merrimack Investment Fund and the Mucci Capital Markets Lab will continue to flourish.

Off campus, Peter has been a member of the career development program at Prudential Financial as well as an analytics intern at Darling Consulting Group.

Beyond his finance-related activities, Peter serves the greater community by volunteering at Habitat for Humanity, Mack Gives Back and the Special Olympics.

scholarship has allowed me “ My to study investments on campus while getting hands-on experience in the real world. At Merrimack, I’ve had opportunities to lead and teach and challenge myself.

Without this support, none of this would have been possible.

“

VICTORIA ROBBINS Class Year 2018 Hometown Millis, Massachusetts Major Communication Studies

Victoria epitomizes the Merrimack philosophy of helping others. As an Admissions Student Ambassador and Orientation Coordinator, she upholds the Augustinian value of community by making first-year students feel welcome the minute they arrive on campus. By handpicking and training more than 120 Orientation Leaders, Victoria works to help new students find their footing and become an essential part of the Merrimack community.

With the support of her scholarship, Victoria has been able to fulfill her passion for dance as a member of the Merrimack competitive dance team, while developing management and leadership skills that will lead her on the path to a career in higher education. She achieved academic excellence and served as President of Omicron Delta Kappa, a national leadership honor society that recognizes exemplary character.

As someone who is deeply involved and committed to the local Merrimack community, Victoria has volunteered at Spark Academy’s after-school program with the Girl Scouts. She was a second grade teacher’s assistant at the St. Augustine School, and she tutored struggling students at New Horizons.

Curious how much Merrimack College means to its students?

Ask Victoria. She could talk about it all day!

“ I am so grateful for my

scholarship which has allowed me to attend Merrimack College — to take classes with dedicated faculty who push me to be my best, get involved in the community and do what I love each and every day.

“

Nearly 400

student-athletes received a 3.0 GPA or better in the fall 2017 semester

NICOLE NANOF Class Year 2019 Hometown Goffstown, New Hampshire Major Biology

Nicole is an all-star Division II softball athlete, team captain, member of the 2017 New England-10 AllChampionship Team and active in the Student-Athlete Advisory Committee.

Beyond her athletic achievements, she is a member of the Honors Program, Honors Student Council and National Honor Society of Leadership and Success. She also manages to work two jobs on campus as an event coordinator for the Office of Student Involvement and as a student employee in the Athletics Department.

Nicole continually receives recognition for her contributions — including receipt of two scholarships, one athletic and one academic — and by making the Dean’s List every semester at Merrimack. Knowing how many opportunities her scholarships have allowed her, she strives to achieve success every day in the classroom, on the field and in the community, volunteering at Hands to Help in Lawrence and Mack Gives Back.

Driven by the belief that no one should ever turn down an opportunity that will challenge them because challenges allow us to grow beyond measure, Nicole has continued to push herself and her peers to set and accomplish new goals day in and day out.

I can’t help thinking where I’d be “ without my scholarship. It has given

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me access to such a wonderful academic and athletic institution with numerous resources, facilities and activities where I can excel, improve my weaknesses and never stop learning.