INFORMATION FOR
New York Yankees baseball star and Latin Grammy-nominated musician Bernie Williams; New York City-based technology and outsourcing attorney Valerie (Gross) Paverd ’03, and global business leader in wine and spirits Gallo were honored when the William Paterson University Foundation hosted its 33rd Annual Legacy Award Gala on April 17.
The annual event is the largest to raise funds for academic scholarships at WP.
Legacy Awards honor those who exemplify the leadership of our University’s namesake, William Paterson, by demonstrating a strong support for public higher education in the state of New Jersey and generosity to others through philanthropic leadership.
Williams, who spoke and performed as part of the University’s Distinguished Lecturer Series in 2010 and Collage! concert in 2011, was honored at the Gala as Distinguished Friend. Paverd was honored as Distinguished Alumna, and Gallo was honored as Distinguished Organization.
“We’re grateful for the opportunity to highlight our loyal and supportive alumni, friends, and corporate partners,” says Pam Ferguson, president of the William Paterson University Foundation and vice president for institutional advancement. “On behalf of the entire University community, I thank them for their partnership, leadership, and friendship — and for supporting our students.”
All proceeds from the Gala directly fund academic scholarships at WP, thereby directly affecting the lives of students—most of whom rely on scholarships to complete their education.
William Paterson University distributed more than $1.6 million in 750 donor scholarships for the 2023-24 academic year.
Kalie Gomez, a Dean’s List student with a double major in economics and journalism, is a recipient of one of those scholarships.
An immigrant from the Dominican Republic, when Gomez first arrived in the United States with her parents and sister, they had “nothing” and lived in a small home with 15 other newly arrived family members, Gomez said in her remarks at the Gala. Her mother became a school custodian and her father, a truck driver.
“When I told them I was awarded a donor scholarship, I could feel the weight drop from their shoulders,” Gomez said. “The support has meant more to me than you could ever imagine. I have been able to study the major of my dreams, economic research, and data analytics, and land my dream internship at the New Jersey Economic Development Authority … but I wouldn’t be standing here now without the support of donors. Thank you for choosing to support the unheard and underserved so that we can create generational wealth for ourselves and our families.”
04/30/24
