May 18, 2021—Two incoming Marist students have been named for the newly established Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History (GLI) Scholarship at Marist College. The scholarship is awarded to students from GLI’s vast national network of affiliated schools who demonstrate exceptional achievement in the study of history.

This unique and impactful collaboration between Marist College and GLI was cultivated and primarily funded by a family with long standing commitments to both institutions. The pilot program provides scholarships for selected entering freshman over the next four years. The goal of this initial phase is to demonstrate a new model of philanthropy and support for students in the humanities that will justify permanence and growth. All students are awarded based on academic merit and are provided significant financial assistance. These are among GLI’s highest achieving, most accomplished students.

"Providing students with access to superior historical resources is at the heart of the Gilder Lehrman Institute's mission," said James Basker, President of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. "We're thrilled to partner with Marist College to help these outstanding students, each nominated by a teacher in our Affiliate School Network, to become the next generation of scholars."

“This new scholarship initiative underscores Marist’s commitment to fostering the study of history and the humanities more broadly, and to providing an exceptional education to students with financial need. I am grateful to our generous and dedicated alumni lead donors and to GLI for bringing this to fruition,” said Marist President Dennis J. Murray. “Marist is honored to partner with a world-class history organization that shares our deep commitment to excellence in education and service.”

Impressive Inaugural Recipients

The inaugural recipients hail from New York and have impressive academic and extracurricular achievements to their credit:

• Elisabet Guerrero Hernandez, Manhattan Center for Science and Mathematics, NY. She completed a research project with the Museum of Natural History and served as an intern at Fordham University’s History Makers program. Guerrero Hernandez is secretary of the Woman’s Alliance Club and a member of her high school’s bowling varsity team. She is very interested in a career in adolescence education and aspires to be a history teacher.
• Harumi Kameda, Hyde Leadership Charter School, NY. She’s coming from Hyde Leadership Charter School where she is second in her class and is looking to find her niche at Marist. Kameda is the co-captain of her high school debate team, member of the National Honor Society, involved in Environmental Club, and plays saxophone in the pep band. She hopes to study pre-law and has an interest in history and environmental science.

GLI Scholars will benefit from a society that is being developed to further stimulate their desire to learn about history and stay connected with other high achieving Marist humanities students and faculty. Additionally, Marist GLI scholars will make trips to the GLI office in New York City to access their extensive archives and participate in special programming and internship opportunities. For students with financial need, the scholarship will grow during their time at Marist, providing for increases in award amounts to eliminate the impact of annual tuition increases as well as matching funds for the money they earn through part-time employment.

Through this partnership, GLI students will have the opportunity to participate in Marist’s highly ranked Summer Pre-College Program, which is also available to all students at GLI partner schools around the country. In addition, GLI students can take advantage of other special events and activities both on and off campus, and avail themselves of the rich historic resources of the Hudson River Valley.

To fully realize the exciting vision for this unique scholarship initiative and augment the generous support of its lead donors, the College is inviting others to participate by sponsoring and naming the individual scholarships in the program.

A Strategic Partnership

GLI is widely recognized as one of the leading institutions in America dedicated to the promotion of knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. Established in 1994 by noted philanthropists Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, the Institute has an archive of more than 75,000 historical documents and provides educators, students, and the public with access to these valuable resources. GLI also has an impressive network of more than 29,000 affiliated high schools around the country, and their programming reaches nearly five million students each year.

The collaboration with GLI is a complement to Marist’s deep work in the field of history. The College’s Hudson River Valley Institute studies and interprets regional history, hosts lectures every semester, and publishes a peer-reviewed journal, The Hudson River Valley Review. Numerous students intern with HRVI each year, learning valuable research skills.

The College’s partnership with the Franklin D. Roosevelt Library and Museum makes it one of only six colleges and universities nationwide affiliated with a presidential library. Marist also hosts the Library’s digital archives.

About the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History

The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History was founded in 1994 by Richard Gilder and Lewis E. Lehrman, visionaries and lifelong supporters of American history education. The Institute is the leading nonprofit organization dedicated to K–12 history education while also serving the general public. Its mission is to promote the knowledge and understanding of American history through educational programs and resources. At the Institute’s core is the Gilder Lehrman Collection, one of the great archives in American history. Drawing on the 75,000 documents in the Gilder Lehrman Collection and an extensive network of eminent historians, the Institute provides teachers, students, and the general public with direct access to unique primary source materials. As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit public charity the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History is supported through the generosity of individuals, corporations, and foundations. The Institute’s programs have been recognized by awards from the White House, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Organization of American Historians, and the Council of Independent Colleges.

About Marist

Located on the banks of the historic Hudson River and at its Florence, Italy campus, Marist College is a comprehensive, independent institution grounded in the liberal arts. Its mission is to “help students develop the intellect, character, and skills required for enlightened, ethical, and productive lives in the global community of the 21st century.” Marist is consistently ranked among the best colleges and universities in America by The Princeton Review (Colleges That Create Futures and The Best 386 Colleges), U.S. News & World Report (3rd Most Innovative School/North), Kiplinger’s Personal Finance (“Best College Values”), and others. The College is top-ranked for long-term study abroad (#3 in the U.S.) by the U.S. State Department’s Open Doors report. The College also operates the Institute for Data Center Professionals, which provides individuals and corporate teams with skills-based education and credentialing to support the data center and enterprise computing environments of the future. Marist educates more than 5,000 traditional-age undergraduate students and 1,400 adult and graduate students in 47 undergraduate majors and numerous graduate programs, including fully online MBA, MPA, MS, and MA degrees, and also Doctor of Physical Therapy and Master of Physician Assistant programs.