Saint Mary’s College receives $1.1 million to continue participation in Kessler Scholars Collaborative

Saint Mary’s College has received $1.1 million from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation to support its continued participation in the Kessler Scholars Collaborative. Saint Mary’s College has participated in the Kessler Scholars Collaborative since 2023. The goal of the collaborative is to provide opportunities and ensure success for students who are first-generation college students and those from low-income families.

According to an article on Saint Mary’s College’s website, Dr. Redgina Hill, who serves as the college’s Vice President for Inclusion & Equity, was quoted as saying of the grant, “This grant renewal is a powerful investment in the success of our Kessler Scholars Program. The program has already transformed the way we connect, equip, and empower students at Saint Mary’s, and this continued support allows us to deepen that impact. With these resources, we can expand innovative programming, foster a stronger sense of belonging, and ensure students have the tools, mentorship, and opportunities they need to thrive, both on campus and beyond graduation.”

The Kessler Scholars Collaborative first launched in 2020 with six partner institutions. Now, there are 16 partner institutions around the country, including Bates College, Brown University, Centre College, Cornell University, Johns Hopkins University, Queens College, St. Francis College, Syracuse University, The Ohio State University, University of California, Riverside, University of Dayton, University of Michigan, University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, University of Pittsburgh, and Washington University. These institutions meet periodically to share their findings and knowledge, develop best practices, and complete networking opportunities.

The goal of the Kessler Scholars Collaborative is to improve the college experience of first-generation and low-income college students and improve their outcomes to lead to success. Students in the Kessler Scholars program at Saint Mary’s College have access to personalized and dedicated student support, cohort activities, and specialized programming to help first-generation students boost their confidence. 

Gail Gibson, the executive director of the Kessler Scholars Collaborative, said, “We are thrilled about this exciting next chapter for the important student success work of the Kessler Scholars Program. We are demonstrating how a comprehensive, cohort-based approach can help close outcome gaps and promote a sense of belonging for first-generation students. We are so excited to be able to extend this effort and continue to amplify its work to provide guidance to colleagues and institutions across higher education.”

This new funding from Bloomberg Philanthropies and the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation will allow Saint Mary’s College to participate in the collective through 2030.

For more information about Saint Mary’s College, visit the school’s website.