A Lasting Connection to the University of Scranton
Melinda C. Ghilardi, Esq. '80, and Sidney J. Prejean, Esq. '72
Sid and Melinda, University of Scranton graduates, did not meet on campus, but their connection and devotion to their alma mater has been a strong and steadfast bond they both share. They were introduced by Judge Tom Blewitt '72, Sid's classmate and Melinda's professional colleague, who served as best man at their wedding. The wedding was celebrated at St. Peter's Cathedral by former University President Joseph M. McShane, S.J., with a reception on campus in Brennan Hall.
Melinda has been a servant leader for the University since her graduation; that service includes a term on the Board of Trustees and a professional lifetime of mentoring undergraduates. She is currently serving the Panuska College of Professional Studies (PCPS) as a member of the Board of Visitors. Melinda truly believes that the University helped shape the person she is today and continually finds ways to give back for the opportunities the University provided.
Sid also serves the University in several capacities. He sits on the Advisory Board of the Friends of the Weinberg Memorial Library, where he has been active in helping the Library stay current in the modern digital world. Sid also serves as coach of the University's Mock Trial Team, working pro bono with students from the College of Arts and Science, the Kania School of Management and the PCPS as they compete against schools from across Pennsylvania and throughout the East Coast.
Both Melinda and Sid believe that, though our students receive a world-class education in the classroom, it is the added value of service to the community—the magis—that helps them achieve more than they could ever dream possible.
Through their joint connection with undergraduates, they are keenly aware of the financial obligation faced by our students seeking a private Jesuit education here at Scranton. As a University couple, they share the belief that the Jesuit emphasis on values, intellectual adventure, and service to others is the finest preparation our students could have to become effective and principled leaders in the world of tomorrow.
To help our students of the future, Melinda and Sid have established two insurance policies which will fund a scholarship endowment in their names. Their contributions, in the form of reasonable and affordable policy premiums, will blossom and grow to allow students to continue to experience the magis offered by this University long into the future.
Melinda and Sid live by the words from Luke's gospel inscribed above the entry to Brennan Hall: "Of those to whom much is given, much is expected." They are thrilled and proud to make their contributions to the future of the University.
To learn how you, like Melinda and Sid, can make an impact on our future, contact Carol Maculloch, MBA, CFRE at 570-941-7799 or plannedgiving@scranton.edu.