Each time an alumnus makes a gift to scholarships at UCSD, he or she helps create a legacy of achievement and a stronger university for the next generation. For some people, like Sue Hart, Ph.D. ’86, and her husband, Steve, M.A. ’80, their gift to support outstanding students represents a continuum of the involvement they’ve maintained with UCSD since they first met as graduate students at a Mathematics Department social. For others, like Joe Lima, ’87, a gift is a way to reconnect with a campus he hasn’t seen in years.

“I’m turning 40 this year, and I’d been thinking about maybe a big party,” says Joe. “One morning I picked up my mail and there was a copy of @UCSD magazine with an ad about scholarships. I thought, wow—this is what I really want to do.”

Joe, the senior director of information technology at Hotwire.com and the son of Cuban immigrants, wanted to share the UCSD experience with another student. Joe’s gift, with a matching gift from his employer, established the first Alumni Leadership Scholarship, which was awarded to Maung Kyaw Aung, a native of Burma.

Sue and Steve Hart were also attracted to the idea of helping young people with ambition and ability. In memory of their son, the Harts recently established the Kevin T. Hart Memorial Scholarship Endowment. “The scholarship will go to a student who has personally experienced mental illness or homelessness,” says Steve, “whether themselves or a family member.”

“Kevin cared deeply about the homeless and the disadvantaged, so this is a fitting tribute to his memory,” adds Sue, a member of the UCSD Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The Alumni Association’s Leadership Scholarship Program was created to benefit third and fourth year students. With a commitment of $30,000 ($6,000 annually for five years), an alumnus can create a permanent, named, endowed scholarship fund.

The association seeks to establish a $2 million endowment that will ultimately generate 40 scholarships annually at the $2,000 level.

“We’re very excited to launch this new scholarship program,” says Alumni Association board member Tony Fiori, ’98. “We’re not only offering the recipients a financial reward but we also plan to engage the scholars in a number of alumni-sponsored activities on campus.”