Hunter College Honors Moms with Mother's Day Scholarship Fund

Some families gift flowers, others gift chocolates. These families celebrate their mothers by honoring their alma matter—Hunter College. Women who attended the formerly female college were engrained with a love of learning and desire to excel. The gift of education is one that keeps giving—and no one is more aware of that than the gracious donors that contribute to Hunter College’s Mother’s Day Scholarship Fund.

When Jennifer J. Raab took over as president of Hunter College of the City University of New York in 2001, she searched for ways to celebrate the many mothers who once attended the CUNY. Her idea was to begin a fundraising campaign where children and spouses could honor the female alumni of the school. In 2005, President Raab established the Hunter College Mother’s Day Scholarship Fund. Now, 17 years later, the fund has raised more than $9.25 million.

The fund provides scholarships to some of Hunter’s finest and most deserving students – many of whom are first-generation Americans and often the first in their families to attend college. Those who contribute to the scholarship fund are committed to changing the lives of promising Hunter students. Each year in the fall, many donors are invited to meet the students who have benefitted from their generosity. The donors can build relationships with their recipients, often attending commencement to see their recipient graduate.

As you gather with your loved ones this Mother’s Day—whether it be through Zoom or in person—take a look at Hunter College’s full-page advertisement in the New York Times honoring the many families that have kindly contributed to Hunter College’s Mother’s Day Scholarship Fund. The list celebrates the wives, mothers, and grandmothers that all started out at Hunter College. Twelve families have donated each year since the scholarship began in 2005. Two of the families are now represented by the next generation of donors.