A $25,000 leadership gift from Chris and Erin Hagstrom of New York City will provide financial aid for business students while carrying on the legacy of Chris's late mother, Karen J. Hagstrom, a former St. Bonaventure graduate student.
The Hagstroms' gift contributes to St. Bonaventure's $15 million campaign to construct a new building to house its School of Business. It will establish an endowed scholarship to be awarded yearly starting in fall 2015 to lower-income School of Business applicants.
The scholarship honors Karen J. Hagstrom, who died in 2007. She earned her Master of Science in education from the State University at Fredonia, though she also studied at St. Bonaventure, and taught in the Falconer Central School system.
"She was a phenomenal mom, an influential teacher and an amazing person," Chris Hagstrom said. "She tutored students constantly, right up until the point when she fell ill, always promoting the idea of learning."
Chris Hagstrom is also a Bonaventure alumnus. He completed his undergraduate degree in finance in 1992 and now serves as Head of Prime Service Sales in the Americas at UBS in New York City. Growing up with his mother in Bemus Point, Hagstrom felt that St. Bonaventure represented the best possible education in his area.
"My parents had four boys to put through school," he recalled. "The fact that I was able to attend Bona's meant a lot to us. I know my mother would like to help others afford a solid education. She had a profound impact on the lives of countless students. Creating a scholarship in her name seemed to me like the most meaningful way to perpetuate her educational ideals and her legacy."
Construction of the new business building will begin by June, with occupancy set for fall 2013. The center will feature high-tech classrooms, a financial services lab, a state-of-the-art boardroom, and special meeting and office spaces for student groups and faculty.
"The new School of Business center is a key element in our overall strategic plan," said Sr. Margaret Carney, O.S.F., S.T.D., president of the university. "We have seen firsthand the power of new facilities on our campus, and know that investing in this building will position us to better compete for high-quality students and faculty who want to be part of a unique and distinctive scholarly environment."
The $15 million campaign will provide: $10 million for the construction of the new business center; $4 million in endowments for faculty and programmatic support to ensure a vibrant intellectual community; and $1 million for building endowment.
The leadership gift from the Hagstrom family is among nearly 300 commitments made to the campaign by St. Bonaventure alumni and friends.
Donations to the campaign may be made by visiting www.sbu.edu/bullishonbusiness/donate or by calling (800) 664-1273.
For more on the planned business center and the School of Business Campaign, go to www.sbu.edu/bullishonbusiness.