Shea K. Delehaunty '21, co-valedictorian of her graduating class.
The Gerber Family Endowed Scholarship was established by Nancy and Robert Gerber ’76. It provides financial assistance to students facing unanticipated financial hardship or a change in circumstances causing a need or an increase to their aid. Preference is given to students of single-parent households or students without living parents.
Robert majored in economics at Union College and holds an M.A. and Ph.D. in economics, both from Columbia University. He retired as partner and chief investment officer at Lord Abbett & Co., LLC. Nancy, who began her education at Union, graduated from the University of Pennsylvania. A practicing psychoanalyst, she holds a Ph.D. in literature from Rutgers University, a master’s in psychoanalysis from Boston Graduate School and a certificate from the Academy of Clinical and Applied Psychoanalysis. Robert and Nancy live in West Orange, N.J.
“Upon my retirement in 2016, my partners gave me a gift of philanthropy—a contribution in my name to a nonprofit of my choice. When I started to think about what I wanted to accomplish with the gift, I tried to think not about institutions, but about who I wanted to help. And I thought about those times when a student runs into trouble and has difficulty going on with his or her education. Maybe a parent passes away or loses a job mid-term, and it might be challenging for the student to get additional help. That happened to me as an undergraduate. I wanted to offer a hand to someone in that position. The seed capital of my retirement gift wasn’t enough to fund or keep the scholarship going in perpetuity, so Nancy and I contribute each year. We're building up the endowment so it becomes a fully independent scholarship.”
RECIPIENT: Shea Delehaunty '21
Shea is an English major who plans to pursue a career as a reading and language learning specialist. She lives in Marblehead, Mass. She has been named co-valedictorian of the Class of 2021.
“Alumni support of and engagement with Union has been so important to my experience over the last few years. When my father passed away unexpectedly, the Gerber Family Endowed Scholarship allowed me to continue my education at Union without interruption. With alumni support, I’ve been able to take a variety of fascinating classes, pursue various extracurricular opportunities and study abroad. As I prepare to graduate and enter the professional world, I’m grateful to know I have the support not only of Union itself, but of the many alumni who have come before me. Their expertise and advice will be invaluable.”
