SunTrust Foundation has donated $100,000 to St. Thomas University to fund scholarships for first-generation students with financial need, as part of SunTrust’s ongoing support for the college.
The endowed scholarship will be matched through a challenge grant from the Batchelor Foundation providing an impact of $200,000 toward first-generation student support.
“Gifts like these that support the next generation of leaders have the potential to change the lives of our students and the communities in which they live in,” said STU president Monsignor Franklyn Casale. “We are very fortunate to have such wonderful community partners that help make a quality, personalized education possible for so many worthy students.”
Over the years, SunTrust, which has several of its executive serving on advisory boards at STU, has gifted the university with generous scholarship support for low-income students and other programs. They are serving as a community advisory partner on a new university program focused on financial literacy and student success.
SunTrust has also served as the university’s bank for more than two decades.
“Our philosophy has always been that when we build our communities, we build our bank,” said Manny Perdomo, president and CEO of SunTrust Bank, South Florida. “As a purpose-driven company, we are constantly seeking ways to make difference. Two of the most meaningful ways we can do this is through corporate philanthropy and helping guide, advise and lead people along their road to financial security and wellness, or as we call it, ‘Lighting the Way to Financial Well-Being.”