Why we give

Mike and Sue Abromaitis

“When we were talking about what we wanted our legacy to be at Loyola University, we realized that men’s lacrosse and Catholic Studies were of great importance to us. Since we come from a family with a long line of Loyola graduates—starting with Mike’s father, Joseph Abromaitis, a member of the second class to graduate from the Evergreen campus in 1926—we know the importance of scholarships to our students. We hope that our contribution will result in young men and women who make a difference in this world because of their Loyola education.”

The Abromaitises have made a $100,000 pledge and a $100,000 bequest to establish scholarships for men’s lacrosse and the Catholic Studies program. Carol “Sue” Abromaitis, Ph.D., has taught English at Loyola since 1962, the same year her husband, Mike, who was an attackman for the men’s lacrosse team for four years, received his bachelor’s degree. Loyola alumni span three generations of their family, including Mike’s father, Sue’s brother, and five nieces and nephews, two of whom played men’s and women’s lacrosse for the Greyhounds. Mike has recently broadcast selected men’s lacrosse games on the radio and for ESPN3 from Ridley Athletic Complex.

Robert and Rudy DeSantis

“The things I learned at Loyola—and the professors I had—had a very deep influence on my life. Two of my children went to Loyola, and I’ve had contact with many graduates over the years. These young graduates have been wonderful people and terrific representatives of the University. Now I volunteer as a teacher’s aide in the science department of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School four to five days a week. It’s a real joy. Because I get so much out of it, I don’t feel I’m really giving anything back… and so, in the Jesuit tradition of trying to do more, of Magis, we have created this scholarship with the hope that Cristo Rey students will benefit and go on to receive a Loyola education.” —Rudy DeSantis, ’58

“When I look back on the sacrifices my parents made to send their 10 children to Catholic high school and then to college, the energy they expended ensuring we were always working as hard as we should be, and the organization it took to see that each of us had what we needed to succeed, I am reminded of what my own responsibilities are. Supporting my alma mater through scholarships has the potential of making a real difference in someone’s life, someone who will hopefully also choose to pay it forward one day.” —Robert DeSantis, ’85

Rudy DeSantis, ’58, has made a $100,000 bequest to support the DeSantis Family Scholarship, an endowed fund of $50,000 started by his son, Robert, to benefit the continuing Jesuit education of a graduate of Cristo Rey Jesuit High School in Baltimore, where Rudy is a long-time volunteer. Robert, who received his degree from Loyola in 1985, was married in Alumni Memorial Chapel in 1994 to Suzanne Macys DeSantis, ’85, Psy.D. ’89. He has pledged an additional $100,000 of his estate to support the scholarship, and continues to make generous contributions to Loyola’s Evergreen Fund each year.

Mary C. Mangione and family

“As a family, we believe in supporting those priorities that are important to Loyola and that have meaning to us. Supporting Coach Steve Nichols, ’92, and providing scholarship support to future soccer players speaks to our family’s love of the game and delight in having a talented, local coach and alumnus lead our program. Loyola is fortunate to have received the third NEH grant in its history, and we were happy to help the University achieve its first fundraising milestone with our gift. We believe in the Bright Minds and Bold Hearts of Loyola and are delighted to provide our support of these important programs.”

Mary C. Mangione, Mount Saint Agnes College ’52, has made a $250,000 gift to benefit a number of Loyola initiatives, designating $125,000 to the National Endowment for the Humanities Challenge to support Messina; $100,000 to provide athletic scholarship for Greyhounds soccer; and $25,000 to support the men’s soccer program. A member of the Magis and John Early Societies, Mangione also serves on the Campaign Steering Committee. She and her late husband, Nicholas, a former Loyola Trustee, established the Mangione Family Foundation, which provides philanthropic support and resources to non-profit organizations in the greater Baltimore area. Seven of their children (as well as three of their spouses) and four of their grandchildren received degrees from Loyola; a fifth grandchild is currently enrolled.

Steve Vintz

“Loyola provided me with a wonderful educational experience and opened a lot of doors for me with employers when I graduated. The accounting program is well-respected within the business community, and to have that starting point was really invaluable. I also built some great friendships at Loyola that have endured over time, and recently reconnected with several people from the Sellinger School of Business and Management. So I knew I wanted to give back in some way. However, I always thought of that in the context of retiring and giving back later in life. I had been looking for a way to get more involved with Loyola, and this summer served as a time of reflection. I started thinking about what I want to do with my life, and I asked myself, ‘Why wait to give when I can start to make a difference now?’ I encourage all young professionals to start giving back as soon as they can, when they are in the position to do so.”

Steve Vintz is a 1990 graduate of Loyola, where he received his degree in accounting. He has made a $50,000 gift to support scholarship for a student in the Joseph A. Sellinger, S.J., School of Business and Management. Steve was the chief financial officer of marketing and PR software firm Vocus of Beltsville, Md., for over a decade, leading the company through a successful IPO in 2005 and its ultimate sale in June of this year. Today Steve is taking time off to spend with his family. He lives in Clarksville, Md., and has two children: Delanie, 13, and Grayson, 11.

Hudi Schorr

“After two years working at the Loyola Clinical Centers (LCC), I developed an intimate connection to and appreciation for the LCC. I personally was raised and identify as Jewish, and so I didn’t have much exposure to the Jesuit way of life prior to attending to Loyola. Since joining this community, I’ve realized the incredible consistency between the Jesuit values and the Jewish way of life: the value placed on reflection, on integrity, on service—values with which I was raised and which I identify as integral parts of my identity and driving force as a human being. Essentially, the values of reflection and giving back are really what motivated my gift. I believe in the work that we are doing in the LCC. I wanted to join in the mission not simply as a student clinician, but as a board member and a donor. This was my way of giving back to Loyola what Loyola has given to me.”

Hudi Schorr is in her third year of pursuing a doctoral degree in psychology at Loyola. Her practicum work has led to her establishing an intimate relationship with the Loyola Clinical Centers, where she currently serves on the advisory board—a place, she says, where she sees the Jesuit values that Loyola is built on brought to life. Her $25,000 pledge over five years to the Executive Director’s Fund of the LCC will support the areas of greatest need.