An Expression of Gratitude

Maureen Kenney ’81 shares her Red Fox pride.

By Maureen Kenney ’81

I graduated from Marist University in 1981 with a bachelor of science degree in accounting. I had several affordable options of universities to attend on Long Island, but I wanted to “go away to school.” In order to accomplish this goal, I knew I would have to rely on scholarships and student loans. After my college visits were finished, Marist was my overwhelming first choice. When I was accepted into Marist, I was so excited—but I didn’t know if I could afford it.

Marist awarded a tuition Presidential Scholarship to me that made it possible to attend my school of choice. The scholarship was a fixed annual amount but, as with most things in life, the cost of tuition increased each year. At the end of my junior year, I learned the tuition for my senior year would be significantly higher; and I was going to have to apply for a larger student loan to cover the difference.

Since my scholarship was a “presidential” scholarship, in August 1980 I decided to write a letter to President Dennis Murray and request an increase in the amount to be awarded for my senior year. I was very impressed with the job Dr. Murray had done in his first year at Marist, and I could sense that he was a reasonable man. I provided him with a statistical analysis of the increase in tuition along with my increased net costs. My request was reviewed, and it was determined that my existing scholarship would be replaced with a slightly more generous room and board scholarship.

I learned many lessons throughout this process. I learned that every person has a voice, including college students. If a request is fair and reasonable and is presented in a polite and professional manner, it will be taken seriously. I also learned it never hurts to ask. The worst that could have happened was, if the University turned down my request, I would still have had my original scholarship.

The most important lesson I learned, though, was that things don’t always turn out the way you planned. You see, I had planned to move off campus into an apartment with my roommate and some other friends for senior year. After being provided room and board, I lived on campus. As fate would have it, the friends I met on campus that year changed the course of my life. One became a lifelong friend, and I am godmother to one of her children. Another came from a quaint town on Long Island, just 12 miles from where I grew up, that I did not know existed. After visiting her hometown, I wound up liking the area and eventually bought a house there.

As an expression of my appreciation, I have included Marist College in my estate planning. It is the least I could do as a way to say thank you to Dr. Murray for teaching me valuable life lessons. I am proud to be a member of the Marist Legacy Society knowing that I will be helping future Marist students attend their “school of choice”—where they, too, will have the chance to build meaningful friendships—a reality.