Courage and the strong support of community highlighted St. Bonaventure University’s annual scholarship luncheon held on campus May 3.

Seniors Amina Golden-Arabaty and Rebekah Liszewski, both members of the Class of 2019, served as guest speakers for the event, representing the 572 students who received scholarships this academic year

Golden-Arabaty is a journalism and mass communication major and Arabic and Islamic studies minor from Lockport, New York, who serves as president of the Muslim Students & Allies club.

As a practicing Muslim, Golden-Arabaty said that she hasn’t always blended in. Her choice of attending a Catholic Franciscan university raised a few eyebrows among her high school friends. 

“Some feared that my attending Bona’s would shape me differently — and they were right,” she said. “I would not be the person I am today or the person I hope to be tomorrow without my Bona family. I have grown in my faith, gained lifelong friends, developed a professional status and explored new things in a safe, inviting environment.”

Liszewski is a finance and accounting double major from North Syracuse, New York, who has served as a resident assistant, orientation leader and student ambassador. She will travel to Africa this summer as a global scholar with the School of Business. 

Liszewski recounted a freshman year filled with struggle and the devastating loss of her sister.

“St. Bonaventure became the backbone I needed,” she said. “Not only did my friends come to my rescue, but my professors did, too. The support this university offered has taken me on a journey of self-love and self-discovery. I’ve discovered new opportunities to jump out of my comfort zone and achieve my overall goal of making a difference.”

The luncheon also features an academic showcase that highlights the creative endeavors and academic research of select students as well as faculty recipients of grant awards.

The Leo E. Keenan Jr. and James J. Martine faculty development endowments provide funding to improve the quality of teaching and learning at the university. They were established in 1999 by alumnus and trustee emeritus Leslie C. Quick III and his wife, Eileen. Quick is managing partner and founding partner of Massey Quick Simon.

“It’s been a great run,” Quick said of the 20 years the endowments have been in existence. “We want to keep raising the bar on our teaching abilities. It warms my heart to see the enthusiasm of the faculty because that enthusiasm gets transported to students.”

During the 2018-2019 academic year, more than $1.6 million was awarded in scholarship aid. Seven new endowed scholarships were created, bringing the combined total of endowed and annual scholarships at the university to 326.

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About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things. St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #1 regional university value in New York and #2 in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition.