The coronavirus pandemic and revitalized racial justice movement laid bare devastating inequities across the United States, and spurred two Santa Clara families to commit to growing diversity on campus. They hope their gifts, totaling $2.3 million, inspire others to chip in.
Philanthropist Jim Hulburd ’82 and his wife, Laura, established a $680,000, 10-year fund through the Undergraduate Admissions Office to create a needs-based scholarship for Black students. They plan to select two students to help each year, so that by the fourth year, the couple is assisting eight students throughout their tenures at SCU.
Through the J.W. Bagley Foundation, the Bagley family—which includes several SCU alums—has established a $1.64 million, need-based endowed scholarship benefitting first-generation BIPOC students, a move that doubled their contributions to the University.
Their efforts come as many institutions of higher education focus on making campuses more diverse and inclusive, and improving the experiences of BIPOC students by ensuring they are welcomed in a supportive, understanding community.
“We can’t solve a huge problem,” Hulburd said. “But if we can help improve the path of one child at a time, it really is quite rewarding. I’d love to see 20 years from now that the needle got moved.”