Ask LSA sophomore Rafael Lopez about his hometown of Eau Claire, Michigan, and one of the first things he’ll say is that it’s small. “My graduating class,” he says by way of example, “had 32 students.” Joining a class of nearly 7,000 first-year students at U-M was, therefore, quite a change. “I wasn’t necessarily scared,” he recalls, “but I felt confused about what I should be doing.”
LSA sophomore Donnell Williams also recalls how he felt arriving on campus as a first-year student: “I was nervous that I would never find a place where I belong.”
Returning to campus this fall feels different to both of them for many reasons, and one of the biggest is their experience in the Kessler Presidential Scholars Program. “The Kessler Program has given me a community to be part of,” Williams says.
The Kessler Presidential Scholars Program provides four years of significant financial support for academically talented students who are among the first in their families to attend college, demonstrate leadership aptitude, and have a passion for community service. In addition to financial support, it also offers innovative, research-based assistance that fills the gaps left by traditional scholarship programs.
The scholarship was established ten years ago by Fred Wilpon (A.B. 1958) and Judy Kessler Wilpon (A.B. 1958). When Fred Wilpon, a real estate developer and owner of the New York Mets, arrived at U-M in 1954 he was the first person in his family to attend college. Despite the challenges, Wilpon thrived at Michigan. He wanted to create a program that offered the kinds of support that would make today’s first-generation students’ experiences even better. The program has helped 132 students graduate from U-M, and is currently supporting 161 others – 36 of whom are just beginning their first year.
