Dr. Fitzgerald was adamant that Mrs. Fitzgerald should get equal recognition for her years of service and support. Thus the official name of the endowment is:
"The John J. and Patrica L. Fitzgerald Scholarship"
The Fitzgeralds noted that what was most important to them was that the Scholarship recipients be students who study abroad, with a slight preference to those who study in (Angers) France. This took preference over a student who is a philosophy major.
Notre Dame will keep track of all funds ear marked for the scholarship.
That amount has now surpassed $25,000, so the scholarship will live in perpetuity. In fact, we are now over $75,000, so we can begin to award multiple scholarships most years.
Scholarships will be awarded to in-need students who will be studying abroad (preference to students studying in France for one year). The student will be selected by the Office of Foreign Studies and the Financial Aid Office.
Scholarship recipients will be expected to "give back" in gratitude for the Scholarship, either financially or in some sort of community service, or both. The recipients should feel honored and fortunate to have received the Scholarship and be willing to ensure that it continues and grows through the decades -- long after we are all gone. There should be a sense of family involved.
Clicking on the link below will bring you to a printable page with the Notre Dame Pledge Form and instructions on how to make a donation/pledge applicable to the Fitzgerald Endowment.
Recipients: Liz McCorry, Aimee Shelide, Stefanie Dittert, Peter Langer, Paul Steinle, Kristin LaBoe, Matthew Goodrich, Alexandra Bodewig, and Laura Beverly