President's Report 2018-2019 | Page 12

McAuley Scholarship The McAuley Scholarship is a merit- based scholarship awarded to first-year students based on their high school GPA and SAT/ACT scores. W.W. Smith Charitable Trust Scholarship This scholarship provides recognition and financial assistance to students in good academic standing and with financial need that cannot be met by other aid programs. Scholarship recipients must also be permanent residents of the Delaware Valley Area. Noreen McDonough Business Administration, 2010 Here: When she wasn’t in class or at the library studying, the Admissions Office was Noreen’s home away from home. She served as a Griffin Ambassador, completed a semester-long internship, and assisted with preparation and office assistant duties for open houses and other recruitment events. Noreen also worked as an Orientation Leader, was involved in the creation of the University’s yearbook, and was an active member of the Sigma Phi Sigma National Mercy Honor Society. Now: Noreen currently serves as a Contracting Officer at Naval Supply Systems Command, Weapon Systems Support in Philadelphia, Pa., a position for which she spent more than four years preparing. She negotiates, issues, and provides administrative actions for contracts in support of buying and repairing aircraft parts and systems for the Navy, Marine Corps, Joint and Allied Forces. Noreen embraces the challenge and occasional chaos that comes with the role, and is grateful for a career that she really enjoys. “ My GMercyU experience really prepared me for life after college. The classes were engaging, but the academics alone would not have impacted me without the extra-curricular and volunteer activities. Attending GMercyU gave me the opportunity to see my potential inside and outside of the classroom, along with the opportunities to give back to the other students and the community. ” 10 PRESIDENT’S REPORT Troy Bixler Computer Information Science, 2009 Here: Troy was a three-year member of the Men’s Basketball Team and dabbled in other sports at GMercyU including tennis and golf. Troy discovered his interest in IT and Computer Information Science while working at the Help Desk fixing technology issues in classrooms and connecting with faculty members on a professional level. Now: Troy currently serves as a Technical Account Manager for Microsoft. In his role, he assists Higher Education institutions and K-12 schools in maximizing their investments in Microsoft software by working with clients to understand their long-term plans and direct them on how to utilize their new software to work more efficiently, create more collaboration, and achieve their organizational goals. “ GMercyU taught me how to adapt on the fly. I was able to change course to pursue Computer Information Science and IT and make it into a career. I found another passion. I met a lot of people who opened my mind to new skills and interests, and helped me develop cultural awareness outside of our little bubble. It gave me a global perspective. ” WHY WE GIVE