Overview
Emily Colliss, Associate Director, Institute for Civic and Community Engagement
Dr. Wanda Cooper, Director, Institute for Civic and Community Engagement
Each year, the Fannie and Sam Constantino First-Generation Scholars Program awards a scholarship to 24 qualified high school students who exhibit a high degree of motivation and academic potential, and whose parents did not graduate from a four-year college or university.
A highly competitive program, selected students come to campus with a passion for civic and community engagement, develop and cultivate a practice of impactful engagement with community. The scholarship award reduces tuition and room and board fees by one-half, for up to four years, in exchange for full participation in programming each semester.
This First-Generation Scholars Program reflects one of the original purposes of St. John Fisher University: to educate students who are the first in their families to attend a higher-education institution. The programming provides meaningful community engagement in the Greater Rochester community in partnership with local nonprofit organizations. Understanding that no single organization or individual can solve complex social challenges alone, but through collaboration, collective impact can be realized.