St. Joseph's Receives $2 Million Donation For Scholarship Fund

PATCHOGUE, NY — St. Joseph's College in Patchogue recently received one of the largest monetary gifts in the school's history. The local college was the recipient of a $2 million donation from the estate of Frieda Englberger.

The money will go towards creating the Frieda Englberger Endowed Scholarship Fund for SJC Long Island students who have one or more physical disabilities and are in need of financial assistance.

"This is one of the single largest gifts that the College has ever received, and we are so grateful to Ms. Englberger for enabling us to establish this scholarship fund that will assist students with physical disabilities," SJC President Dr. Donald R. Boomgaarden, said. "SJC is a truly inclusive environment and we are dedicated to providing all students with equal opportunities to learn. We mourn her loss and commit ourselves to honoring her memory through the future generations of students who will benefit from her incredible generosity."

Englberger grew up in Brooklyn and was born with a physical disability. In addition, she was involved in a car accident as a child which impaired her ability to walk.

She spent most of her career working at Brookhaven National Laboratory as a biology associate. She was devoted to the service of others and was described as generous, gracious, and bright.

Englberger later moved to the East End of Long Island where she lived until she passed away in November 2020 at 94-years-old.

When asked why she wanted to create a scholarship with her estate, she responded that she wanted to give to those who needed her help.

For more information about this scholarship fund, visit giving.sjcny.edu.