video by Joe O'Neill; text by MaryAlice Bitts-Jackson
Students in war-torn Ukraine received life-changing news recently, thanks to the incredible generosity of a Dickinson alumnus. Sam Rose ’58 has stepped up once again, providing $2 million for scholarships that will pay all costs for these students, giving them a chance for a future they may not have deemed possible.
“Thanks to Sam’s incredible generosity, we are able to offer these students a world-class education away from the war in Ukraine,” said Dickinson President John E. Jones III ’77, P’11, who placed a series of calls to Ukraine so he could personally share the scholarship offer with each student. “It’s critical that we welcome international perspectives, and we are excited to meet and learn from our new Ukrainian students, who will help us build a more interesting and engaging campus community.”
“Education is a great place to make an investment,” said Rose, whose maternal grandfather was born in Kyiv. “These students have endured more than a year of war in their homeland, and I’m happy to give them the opportunity to succeed with a life-changing Dickinson education to become leaders and problem-solvers.”
In addition to tuition for all four years, the Sam Rose ’58 International Scholarship will cover the costs of textbooks, dining and living expenses including support for travel, health insurance and other basic needs through the academic year in addition to support during the college’s summer and winter breaks. And the students will benefit not just financially but also with mentorship and internship opportunities courtesy of Rose. This is a continuation of the successful cohort model Dickinson has established through the Presidential Scholars and Reynolds Leadership Scholars, ensuring that recipients receive additional support and benefits to make the most of their experience.
Rose has long been passionate about fostering social change and sees scholarship giving as a way to “level the playing field” for students from all economic backgrounds. The Samuel G. Rose ’58 Scholarship provides assistance to economically disadvantaged students from urban areas in the U.S.—a cause that’s personally meaningful for Rose, a first-generation college student who grew up in a working-class neighborhood in Baltimore. Rose completed his Dickinson education with assistance through a 50/50 scholarship-loan and went on to earn a law degree and build a successful and high-profile career as a real-estate developer. He has also contributed to scholarships for international students.
Dickinson has a long history of supporting students around the world facing strife, including through the Conflict Zone Student Support Fund, which assists international students whose demonstrated financial need has increased because of extreme violence or war in their homeland. If you would like to contribute to this effort, visit dickinson.edu/gift and choose “Conflict Zone Student Support Fund” in the designation drop-down menu.
Rose’s latest gift supports the Campaign for Scholarships, a multiyear initiative that seeks to raise funds to provide sufficient aid to meet the full demonstrated need of every admitted student. The idea is to ensure that financial constraints never prevent promising potential Dickinsonians from experiencing the kinds of opportunities that propelled Rose, and so many other alumni in the college’s worldwide community, to success.
More than 1,800 students are currently being supported through scholarships and grants, and more than 3,642 donors have contributed to make this possible, with gifts of all sizes helping to change lives through Dickinson. Including the establishment of the new scholarship, Rose has contributed $17.5 million to the Campaign for Scholarships.
Published March 15, 2023