Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund
As a young mother , Rosemarie Zaro ‘ 83 was teaching second grade at St . Paul ’ s School in Norristown , Pa . when the principal , Sister Elizabeth Anne , RSM , encouraged her to explore a bachelor ’ s teaching degree from GMercyU . While a student at GMercyU , Rosemarie raised her two daughters , Marlena and Christa ; her son , John , was just five months old when she completed her degree .
Two years after she graduated , Rosemarie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia . Despite undergoing treatment and even finding a bone marrow donor in Iowa , Rosemarie passed away from an infection at the age of 42 on May 22 , 1987 .
To keep her memory alive , Rosemarie ’ s husband Dr . John Zaro established The Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund at GMercyU with the help of Sister Lois McDonough , RSM . The Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund was the first endowed scholarship in GMercyU ’ s history .
“ She was so proud of her Gwynedd Mercy affiliations , and wanted to help women achieve their career goals . She always felt that she learned so much by teaching people ,” Dr . Zaro shared .
Since its inception , the Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund has impacted more than 60 students with more than $ 200,000 given to assist in making college more affordable . The scholarship is offered to students displaying financial need , with an emphasis on women with children or other family obligations .
To learn more about how you can make a difference through scholarships , contact University Advancement at universityadvancement @ gmercyu . edu or scan the QR code .