Students are applying for support from the fund that Marist President Kevin Weinman and his wife, Beth, established to broaden access to internships, attachment programs, and individual tutoring.
A fund launched by President Kevin Weinman and his wife, Beth, to widen student access to a range of meaningful academic activities has drawn great interest among undergraduates.The President’s Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience supports internships, attachment programs such as courses that include a travel component, and individual tutoring. Awards are intended for students enrolled in an undergraduate, degree-seeking program who demonstrate significant financial need and where financial constraints are a barrier to their participation in these activities.As of mid-March, 123 applications for funding had been received. So far, 72 students have received funds, with the majority of the awards supporting courses with a travel component.The Weinmans established the fund in December 2021 with a pledge of $250,000. Since then, a number of donors, including 100 percent of the College’s Board of Trustees, have added generously to it.Soon after arriving at Marist in fall 2021, Weinman saw a way he could help make an impact on the student experience.“In my short time here, it is already abundantly clear to me that Marist is thriving, yet has the potential to achieve even greater heights,” Weinman said at the time. “One of the ways Marist can do so is to attract, enroll, and retain a diverse group of talented students and enable them to experience the full range of curricular and co-curricular offerings once they arrive, regardless of their financial circumstances. Our pledge is intended to be one small step towards helping all of our students to reach their full potential and get the most out of their Marist experience.”Inspired by the Weinmans’ gift, Chair of the Board of Trustees Ross Mauri ’80 and his wife, Barbara, matched it with a pledge of their own. This past fall, Mauri announced that every member of the Board of Trustees also had made a pledge to the fund in honor of Weinman’s inauguration Sept. 23. The College would also like to recognize the generous gift to the fund made by Emily Saland and her husband, Jesse. Emily is vice president of strategic initiatives and chief of staff at Marist.Applications are reviewed in a competitive process to distribute funding by committees from Marist’s Academic Affairs office, Academic Learning Center, Center for Career Services, and Office of International Programs. Student Financial Services and the Business Affairs Office are responsible for confirming eligibility and overseeing the distribution of awards.The College’s goal is to continue to grow the fund, the range of activities it supports, and its impact on students. The Advancement Office is still actively seeking additional support for this important objective. To make a contribution to the President’s Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience, please visit marist.edu/presidentsfundLouis Greenspan Endowed Fund for Equity in the Marist ExperienceIn addition to the significant term funding that has been secured for the President’s Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience, the College is pleased to announce the establishment of a new endowed fund that was recently established through a generous grant from the Louis Greenspan Charitable Trust to support these important objectives on an ongoing basis. When fully funded, the Louis Greenspan Endowed Fund for Equity in the Marist Experience will provide a perpetual source of support for internships, attachment programs such as courses that include a travel component, and individual tutoring. The College is most grateful to Greenspan Trustees Dan Curtin and Gary Koch for their ongoing commitment to Marist and the many ways the trust has enhanced the world-class opportunities, experiences, and facilities that are available to Marist students.
Kicker Makes Pro Bowl, Leads NFL in Scoring, Makes Playoffs
Marist graduate Jason Myers completed a magnificent 2022 season for the Seattle Seahawks, one which was complete with late-game heroics, postseason play, outstanding statistics, and terrific accolades.Myers is in his eighth season in the NFL as a placekicker and his fourth with the Seahawks. On the last day of the NFL regular season on Sunday, Jan. 8, Myers’ 32-yard field goal in overtime lifted the Seahawks to a 19–16 victory over the Los Angeles Rams. This result, coupled with the Detroit Lions’ victory over the Green Bay Packers, secured a playoff berth for the Seahawks. Although Seattle fell to San Francisco in the wildcard round, Myers made his presence felt with a 56-yard field goal on the final play of the first half.Myers was rewarded with his second career trip to the Pro Bowl and was named First Team All-Pro by the NFL Players’ Association. In the 2022 regular season, Myers led the NFL in scoring with 143 points. He converted 34 of his 37 field goal attempts and 42 of his 43 extra point tries. He also had 54 touchbacks on kickoffs.Myers is a 2013 Marist graduate who was a four-year member of the football program from the 2009 through 2012 seasons. He set the program record for longest field goal in 2011, which came from 49 yards out. That mark was equaled by Luke Paladino in 2019.Myers started his NFL career in Jacksonville. He kicked for the Jaguars from 2015 to 2017 before enjoying a Pro Bowl season with the New York Jets in 2018. He then signed a multiyear contract with Seattle in March of 2019.
The College has more than 75 different study abroad programs.
Marist continues to offer among the strongest study abroad options in the country, with its full academic year study abroad program ranking No. 1 in the nation in participation among US master’s degree-granting institutions, according to the latest Open Doors report for the 2020–2021 academic year. Marist also ranked among the top 10 institutions in the country for its semester-length abroad program (5th), total number of students abroad (5th), and overall study abroad participation (9th).The report is published by the Institute of International Education in collaboration with the US Department of State.A global education is a foundation of the Marist learning experience, which is why the College has more than 75 different study abroad programs including semester-long, full academic year, and short-term study abroad time frames designed to enable students to stay on track with their studies while giving them access to rich cultural experiences.In addition, the Marist Italy campus in Florence offers bachelor’s and master’s degree programs in partnership with one of the most established and innovative educators in Florence, Italy, Istituto Lorenzo de’ Medici. The Marist Italy experience has become one of the College’s most distinctive offerings and draws interest from students around the world.“Study abroad has become a signature aspect of the Marist experience, with about half of our students studying abroad prior to graduation in recent years, which is nearly five times the national average,” said Dr. John Peters, dean of International Programs at Marist. “Navigating a new context and culture is often cited by students as pivotal and transformative. Our students have these incredible opportunities to learn about themselves and the complexity and diversity of our shared story through international and intercultural exploration.”The latest rankings for Marist’s study abroad program came less than a year after the program received the Senator Paul Simon Award for its freshman year abroad programs in Italy and Ireland. The award is one of the most prestigious a college or university can receive for excellence in international programs.
