For Amy Roth ’11, being selected as one of the first recipients of a scholarship supported by the Alan and Jane Handler Scholarship Fund has meant more than simply paying for her education.
“The Alan and Jane Handler Scholarship has enabled me to focus on what most interests me,” says Roth, a psychology major who plans to attend nursing school and to pursue a career in mental health services. “I have had the freedom to find what I’m passionate about.”
The future of all Handler Scholars received a historic boost in January, thanks to a commitment of $20 million from University trustee Rich Handler ’83 and his wife, Martha. Their additional support raises to $25 million the scholarship fund they established in 2007.
The fund, named in recognition of Rich Handler’s parents, Alan and Jane Handler, is the largest contribution to student scholarships in the University’s history.
Since 2007, a total of 10 students in the College and the Eastman School have benefited from the scholarship, which covers all University expenses, including tuition and fees, room, board, and books. Handler Scholars receive awards annually throughout their undergraduate years at the University, as long as they demonstrate adequate academic performance. Recipients are selected on the basis of outstanding scholarship potential, financial need because of underprivileged backgrounds, and outstanding potential to be future leaders.