As I hung up the phone with alumnus Leah Sparkman '17, I felt a strong sense of hope and gratitude. Leah is one of four Nativity Award recipients and one of hundreds of SMUS students who graduate because of the generosity of our endowment donors. Each endowment fund comes with a story of hope and humanity. Often a story of a talented student who desires a more rigorous academic program, or dreams of opportunities that seem out of reach in their current situation. However, all our endowment stories include a family that would otherwise not have the means to send their child to a world-class school such as SMUS.
The 49 named endowed funds are dedicated to the school's strategic priority of Financial Aid. These endowment funds are collectively and appropriately named the Vivat Foundation. This foundation has developed policies and procedures that will provide financial stewardship and solid governance over the endowed funds and investment portfolio, for generations to come. The Vivat Foundation is governed by a board of directors who meet regularly and who bring a wide range of expertise in investment management.
We as a school hold strong to our values and mission to seek the excellence in all of us. Together we will continue to raise funds through our Advancement department in support of our endowed funds and our deserving students. Vivat!
Read the heartwarming story of our Nativity Award recipients and learn more about the lasting impact of financial assistance.
