Spencer Educational Foundation Sets New Milestones with 2025 Scholarship Awards
Undergraduate Awards Increase from $5,000 to $7,500 to Meet Growing Tuition Costs
New York, NY (August 13, 2025) – This year, the Spencer Educational Foundation has reached an incredible milestone by awarding a record-breaking $872,500 in scholarships to 105 outstanding students. 2025 marks the largest amount of scholarship funding in the foundation's 46-year history, as the Foundation increased undergraduate award amounts from $5,000 to $7,500 to meet the growing tuition costs that students face.
The merit-based scholarships are thoughtfully designed to support undergraduate students, full-time and part-time master's students, and Ph.D. candidates across the United States and Canada. These bright individuals are eager to make a positive impact in the fields of risk management, insurance, and actuarial science.
Megan Miller, Executive Director of the Foundation, stated: "The steadfast backing from our donors is essential in addressing the talent gap that our industry is experiencing. This year’s increase in scholarship funding underscores a collective dedication to nurturing a diverse and capable workforce for the future. Congratulations to all the awardees—we eagerly anticipate the innovative contributions they will bring to the industry!"
This year, the Foundation proudly announces the establishment of eight new named scholarships, made possible through the generous support of its donor partners. These additions bring the total to 71 named scholarships valued at $552,500. The collaborations with over 35 companies, organizations, and individuals this year exemplify a strong and collective dedication to cultivating a vibrant talent pipeline for the industry.
2025 Named scholarship donor partners:
AF Group
ALKEME Insurance
Allied World Assurance Company Ltd.
American Agricultural Insurance Company (AmericanAg)
Angela Sabatino
Aon
Arch Insurance Group, Inc.
Argo Group International Holdings, Ltd.
AXA XL
Chubb
Elizabeth M. Lisle
FM
Gabe Cossio
Gallagher
Hylant
IAT Insurance Group
Judy Chaipan and Robin Roeder
Liberty Mutual Insurance
Lockton Companies
Marsh McLennan Agency
Milliman
Philadelphia CPCU Society Chapter
Philadelphia Insurance Companies
Risk and Insurance Management Society (RIMS)
RIMS - Atlanta Chapter
RIMS - Chicago Chapter
RIMS - Connecticut Valley Chapter
RIMS - Dallas-Fort Worth Chapter
RIMS - New Jersey Chapter
RIMS - New York Chapter
RIMS - Orange County Chapter
Risk Strategies
RSUI Group
Sedgwick
Target Markets Program Administrators Association (TMPAA)
Travelers
Young Risk Professionals of Georgia
Zurich Insurance Group
Congratulations to the 2025 Spencer Scholarship award recipients:
Gokul Achaththekoot, Arizona State University
Elijah Adusi, University of Waterloo
Nicholas Afanassiev, Temple University
Allyson Afrank, Drake University
Joshua Aitken, Saint Joseph's University
Sadira Ali, Illinois State University
Siegfried Anyomi, University of Iowa
Paul Arauwou, Morgan State University
Kooper Ashmore, East Carolina University
Danielle Atkinson, Ferris State University
Oluwatosin Babalola, Georgia State University
Skye Balonis, Temple University
Prapya Barman, Temple University
Samit Bin Alam, St. John's University
Kenneth Blekor, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Shaunte Boxill, St. John's University
Matthew Bretz, Pennsylvania State University
Trevor Buckeridge, University of Connecticut
Jennifer Calandra, University of Houston-Downtown
Kaylee Campbell, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Katherine Cerda, St. Mary's University
Eleanor Chen, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor
Miranda Chen, The University of Texas at Austin
Kaysie Cheng, St. John's University
Edward Chmiel, University of Connecticut
Grace Cittadino, Illinois State University
Brian Cohn, University of South Carolina-Columbia
Brendan Colgan, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Elizabeth Colpe, Villanova University
Jessica Cudzich, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Radhika Damle, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Parker Davis, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Nii Amoo Decardi-Nelson, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
Rhoda Dennis, University of Waterloo
Gail Dennis-White, Georgia State University
Elle Dirck, University of Mississippi
Amela Dishnica, University of Connecticut
Charlton Dottin, Morgan State University
Noah Dube, University of Connecticut
Max Ellersick, University of Utah
Peter Espinal, St. John's University
Hamza Essaidi, University of Hawaii
Caleb Eynon, The University of Alabama
Alexander Gherardi, Georgia Institute of Technology
Sarthak Gupta, Georgia State University
Muhammad Rayyan Habib, DePauw University
Mallory Hall, University of Georgia
Stephanie Hayd, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Chara Hinds, Morgan State University
Emily Hopp, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Aliyah Jordan, Georgia State University
Stephanie Kandasammy, St. John's University
Susan Kearney, Saint Joseph's University
Hatatu Killeen, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Kasyoki Kimeu, Georgia State University
Brady King, Saint Joseph's University
Ella Kintz, Ball State University
Ruby Kodiah, Georgia State University
Meah La Rocco, University of Mississippi
Hannah LaMaster, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Minh Nguyet Le, DePauw University
Thao Le, University of St. Thomas
Zachary Li, New York University
Givemore Makusha, The College of St. Scholastica
Nathan Manthey, Illinois State University
Isabella Martinez, St. Mary's University
Roan Maye, Bentley University
Rosario Medina Rodriguez, Fordham University
Adam Messman, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Kathleen Miao, University of Toronto
Aidan Moseley, Appalachian State University
Luke Mostello, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Charles Newsome, Butler University
Sam Ng, University of Connecticut
Nga Nguyen, DePauw University
Thu Nguyen, Texas Christian University
Mihn-Chau Nguyen, University of Waterloo
Naomi Nwokoma, Temple University
Matthew O'Connor, University of Connecticut
Albert Ofoe, University of Massachusetts-Amherst
Jeel Patel, Illinois State University
Marek Pedziwater, Illinois State University
Brady Quinn, Ball State University
Carissa Reebel, University of South Carolina-Columbia
Cristina Salas, Georgia State University
Rainey Sharrow, Florida State University
Mason Smith, University of Central Arkansas
Zane Smith, St. John's University
Mary Snyder, Le Moyne College
Julian Solomon, Florida State University
Samantha Staromana, St. John's University
Anish Subedi, Georgia State University
Isha Tachhekar, St. John's University
Dieter Treneman, Lawrence University
Lily Van Elderen, St. John's University
Angelina Vereshchagina, St. John's University
Chang Wang, Temple University
Vera Wang, University of Southern California
Tyler Welch, University of Wisconsin-Madison
Maxwell Wozniak, St. John's University
Maame Ama Yeboa-Debrah, Georgia State University
Woongchae Yoo, Georgia State University
Samantha Zelling, Temple University
Veronica Zieba, Illinois State University
Donors who establish a named scholarship or contribute at least $10,000 each year to the Foundation are eligible to receive Spencer’s Resume Book, which features the accomplishments of this distinguished group of students for outreach and recruiting efforts.
For more information about the Foundation’s scholarship program, please visit www.spencered.org/scholarships.
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About the Spencer Educational Foundation:
The Spencer Educational Foundation is a non-profit organization committed to fostering the education and professional development of risk management and insurance students. Since its establishment in 1979, the foundation has been helping students succeed by providing scholarships, grants, and internships to talented individuals pursuing careers in these fields. To learn more about the Spencer Educational Foundation and its programs, please visit www.spencered.org.
Media Contact:
Tandeka Nomvete
External Engagement Director
Spencer Educational Foundation
Email: tandeka@spencered.org