Your alma mater has thrived by charting its own path to greatness. I want to tell you about Northeastern’s new scholarship program, a first for the nation in higher education. The Torch Scholars program is firmly rooted in the university’s core values of access and opportunity. It also offers an entirely new model for identifying and nurturing leadership potential in students who have overcome great personal odds.

Northeastern has always been a place where deserving young men and women are given a chance to succeed. This ideal is what sparked the creation of this program. It specifically offers accessibility and opportunity to students who would likely be shut off from the possibility of attending a private university.

The program was founded through the vision and generosity of alumnus Anthony Manganaro, his wife, Michele, and their three children, Todd, Renee, and Nicole, all Northeastern graduates. It is innovative in its ability to identify and quantify leadership potential. It is bold because it enables the university to select students on the basis of these indicators, rather than focusing on the usual performance-based measures of grades and test scores.

It is not easy to qualify. The students complete a rigorous ten-step process of evaluation before being selected. Once admitted, they receive full tuition, fees, and room and board. This is just the beginning of our obligation. We invite them through the door, and we are committed to showing them the path to succeed and excel.

Northeastern provides the students a support system for sustained success: a summer immersion program on campus, ongoing personal mentorship and academic support, and leadership workshops. Co-op will play an important role in their development as leaders. So, too, will the required service learning they do in their own communities. There, they can demonstrate their leadership qualities to the benefit of other young people.

This comprehensive approach makes the Torch Scholars program unlike any other in the nation. By challenging traditional measures and rewarding students on the basis of high potential, we gain access to a network of extraordinary young men and women who prove themselves every day through their work ethic, personalities, and contributions to Northeastern’s campus community.

Our first class of Torch Scholarship recipients, featured in this magazine, are almost through their first year. I have met them all. They are remarkable young people who are very grateful for the opportunity this program presents. They are meeting the challenges without hesitation and setting a superb example for future Torch Scholars. They will succeed and be a source of pride for Northeastern.

The Torch Scholars program will also succeed, with the help of alumni and friends of the university. Other supporters have already joined the Manganaro family in supporting this program. By joining them, you are helping to build a bridge to Northeastern’s past and a path to its future. You can ensure that Northeastern continues to chart its own course to greatness while keeping to the important values of access and opportunity.

Sincerely,

Joseph Aoun
President, Northeastern University