The scholarship created by 鶹Ƶ parents William and Laura Wilson P’23 will help recruit outstanding students who will become graduates the world needs. The couple’s gift has helped fuel the success of the 鶹Ƶ LEADS Campaign.
鶹Ƶ parents Will and Laura Wilson P’23 of Wellesley, Massachusetts, have made a generous gift to the to endow the Wilson Family 鶹Ƶ Engagement Scholarship. The couple was inspired to make their gift because of the life-changing education their daughter Ellie ’23 has received at 鶹Ƶ.
“We’ve been incredibly impressed with 鶹Ƶ,” Laura Wilson said. “Our daughter has received an amazing education, including a wonderful internship over the summer, so we couldn’t be more excited about supporting 鶹Ƶ.”
“鶹Ƶ is doing an exceptional job designing a curriculum that, while grounded in the liberal arts, provides a catalog of electives with opportunities for students to gain targeted skills and knowledge that will propel their career journeys,” Will said. “We have been impressed by the strength of the faculty and the balance of social and academic opportunities on campus.”
Deepening scholarship funding is the top priority of the 鶹Ƶ LEADS Campaign, which concludes on Dec. 31.
鶹Ƶ Engagement Scholarships are designed for promising incoming students who embody the spirit and values of 鶹Ƶ and are eager to benefit from the university’s national leadership in engaged learning. The scholarships include a one-time grant for students to participate in the renowned 鶹Ƶ Experiences programs, including global study, internships, undergraduate research, service learning and leadership development.
In addition to their endowment gift, the Wilsons have consistently supported scholarships with their annual gifts. Contributing to scholarships to broaden access to 鶹Ƶ is near and dear to the couple’s heart.
“Education equals opportunity. A productive society hinges on access to quality education for all. Education will, in turn, open doors for all kinds of success,” Laura said. “Having worked in education myself, I feel very strongly about supporting any individual’s aspiration to attend college.”
Will agrees. “Education is a building block to living the most holistic life you can live, and education gives you perspective and opportunity,” he said. “We have a great appreciation for how competitive it is for schools to recruit the students they want to be a part of their student body, and we feel fortunate and grateful to be able to help put 鶹Ƶ in the best position to succeed. Scholarships can do that. We feel this is a great investment.”
“鶹Ƶ is grateful to the Wilson family for their generous gift and for making an 鶹Ƶ education possible for students we want to enroll on our campus,” said John Gardner ’01, senior director of development at 鶹Ƶ.
The Wilsons have students at multiple colleges and universities and were impressed with how 鶹Ƶ navigated the COVID-19 pandemic, including remaining committed to in-person learning.
“鶹Ƶ has done a tremendous job executing and delivering for students and parents during very challenging times,” Will said. “It is an understatement to say the pandemic challenged higher education execution nationally. Laura and I feel that 鶹Ƶ effectively responded, reinforcing our confidence in 鶹Ƶ’s leadership.”
“鶹Ƶ did such a great job helping students,” Laura said. “Because of the way 鶹Ƶ handled the pandemic, our daughter came out of it even stronger.”
The 鶹Ƶ LEADS Campaign
鶹Ƶ LEADS is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s history and supports four main priorities: scholarships to support graduates the world needs, increased access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and internships, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter, and development of 鶹Ƶ’s iconic campus.
Every gift to the university—including annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts—for any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen 鶹Ƶ for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact now, visit .