“Marsha and I endowed a scholarship for my 50th reunion. Our daughter Bevin ’07 and son-in-law Ned Gilliss ’08 will grow the fund, making Hamilton an even more important part of their story as it has always been part of ours.”
When Steve Kenny arrived at Hamilton from Long Island, he wasn’t exactly focused on academics. He played sports and quickly made friends, but before long, he realized that good grades were not going to come easy. For the first time in his life, he had to become a “real student,” study, and work hard to meet the demands of his coursework.
“What makes Hamilton special is the people,” Steve explains, “the students and the faculty who inspired me. Ultimately, by the time I left, learning became a joy to me.” Perhaps it was this educational experience that would later persuade Steve to change his career focus from business to academia. He first earned a master’s degree in economics before teaching at Suffolk Community College, where he’s been for 45 years.
It was important to Steve to give back to the College, but he thought making a substantial contribution was beyond his reach. “I wished I could do more. I placed myself in the category of people who could not give enough to endow a scholarship fund.”
That changed as Steve, Class of 1969, approached his 50th reunion. Matching funds offered by a classmate encouraged him to increase his annual giving and include the College as a partial beneficiary of his IRA. Suddenly, establishing a scholarship was a reality. Furthermore, Steve and his wife Marsha saw an opportunity to make it a joint effort with the other Hamilton alumni in the family, their daughter and son-in-law, Bevin Kenny ’07 and Ned Gilliss ’08.
When Steve suggested the idea of creating a Kenny-Gilliss Scholarship, Bevin and Ned eagerly agreed. Their giving accelerates the accumulation of funds necessary to activate the scholarship and benefit students, and, adds Steve, “Ned and Bevin can continue to grow the fund throughout their lives, making Hamilton an even more important part of their family story, just as it has always been part of ours.”
Steve and Marsha’s story will continue to be told through the Kenny-Gilliss Scholarship, for future generations of Hamilton students, and future generations of their family. “It’s a legacy we are thrilled to have put in place for our daughter’s present and future family.” Steve hopes he can inspire other alumni to “think beyond their present means” and start a conversation with Hamilton about using creative lifetime and planned giving options that will benefit students in perpetuity.