Carol and Sam Nappi
Whether it was due to a sudden change in financial circumstances or a need to extend a timeline to complete a degree, college students are among
those impacted by the global pandemic. To alleviate some of that burden, the ESF College Foundation established the Extraordinary Aid Fund.
“For many of our students, COVID had, and will continue to have, a drastic financial impact,” said Brenda Greenfield, assistant vice president of development at ESF. The fund was established in June 2020 as a direct response to the pandemic.
“For many college students and their families, COVID-19 caused an unanticipated financial burden that may affect their ability to complete their education,” said Greenfield.
Freshman Giavanna Reed, an environmental science major with a focus in renewable energy, is one such student for whom the Extraordinary Aid Fund made a difference. Before the coronavirus pandemic, Reed’s family was able to help with college expenses, adding: “However, once it began my family experienced a great decrease in funds and is no longer able to help provide funding for my education.”
The financial burden was stressful for Reed and her family and made her question whether she would be able to continue her education at SUNY ESF.
Support from the Extraordinary Aid Fund substantially decreased both the financial burden and stress, she said.
The College received a special $100,000 matching gift that allowed donations to the Extraordinary Aid Fund through 2020 to have double their impact. The gift, from Sam and Carol Nappi, supported the growing demand for financial aid as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Scholarship dollars are often a life-changing lifeline,” said Greenfield. “We are grateful for the support of the Nappi family and other supporters who made these scholarships possible.”
“I am very grateful for the extra financial support, and I am dedicated to making the most out of my time here at ESF,” Reed said. She hopes to continue to earn her master’s degree in environmental science from SUNY ESF and “become an environmental scientist so I can create and implement new renewable technologies into our world.”