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�鶹��ý alumni, families and friends gave a record $57 million in gifts and pledges this past fiscal year, marking a historic year of fundraising for the College. On the whole, funds raised will support financial aid, academic resources and programs, research and internship opportunities, and extracurricular activities. A notable handful of gifts will create funds which bolster key initiatives for Pomona, including new scholarships for low- and middle-income students, faculty innovation, interdisciplinary global learning programs and other essential aspects of the Sagehen experience.

Glicks Pledge $2.47M to Expand College Access for Middle-Income Students

Sam ’04 and Emily ’04 Glick have pledged $2.47 million to support financial aid and other crucial resources for future students from middle-income families. Sam and Emily are longtime supporters of the College; Sam is the outgoing chair of the Board of Trustees, and together they have taken on leadership roles to help advance Pomona’s strategic vision.

The Glicks’ gift will support amplified outreach to middle-income students—many of whom never consider applying to Pomona due to cost. It also will help provide more robust financial support for middle-income students who are admitted. For those who enroll, the fund will support targeted programs and resources for career development and academic enrichment.

“Doing something to help make Pomona available to more people, we hope, in a small way, makes the world a better place,” says Sam.

Read more on the Glicks’ gift.

Sue Berryman Pledges $10 Million Legacy Gift

�鶹��ý alumna Sue E. Berryman ’59 has pledged $10 million to establish six endowed funds for the areas of humanities, music, scholarships and faculty innovation. Berryman’s gift pays tribute to her late mother, father and aunt, who are also alumni of the College.

In honor of her mother, the Frances Bowers Berryman ’30 Fund for Humanities Study will support programming in “common reads” books, visits to arts and cultural institutions and alternative spring break experiences. In honor of her father, the John Jordan Berryman ’28 Funds for the Glee Club and Musical Instruments will support club performances and travel and instrument acquisition/maintenance, respectively.

Two funds honor Berryman’s aunt: the Ellen Evelyn Bowers ’31 Scholarship Fund and Global Student Haven Outreach Fund, which will support scholarships for students with financial need and international students displaced by global crises and natural disasters. The sixth fund, the Sue Ellen Berryman ’59 Presidential Innovation Fund, will support broader initiatives across Pomona’s educational mission, including interdisciplinary research.

“A liberal arts education provides multiple windows to relate to the world. It inspires curiosity and helps students develop the confidence and capacity to learn new fields,” says Berryman. “Our family has always had a profound love for Pomona.”

Read more on Berryman’s gift.

Smith Family and The H. Russell Smith Foundation Pledge $2.5 Million to Expand Global Learning for �鶹��ý Students

�鶹��ý received a $2.5 million gift to support interdisciplinary global education programs and engaged learning opportunities for students from The H. Russell Smith Foundation, Stewart R. Smith ’68, P’00 ’09, Robin A. Ferracone and MacKenzie C. Teymouri ’09. Pomona alumnus Stewart Smith is chair emeritus of Pomona’s Board of Trustees, and alumna MacKenzie Teymouri, his daughter, is a current trustee of the College.

The gift, comprised of $2 million from The H. Russell Smith Foundation and a $500,000 legacy gift commitment from Stewart, will form the new Stewart Smith Interdisciplinary Global Engagement Fund to advance the Global Pomona Project and build momentum for the planned Center for Global Engagement (CGE). The fund will support the development of interdisciplinary programs and activities housed at CGE, as well as global learning opportunities through the new study away Faculty-Led Program.

“It is a simple idea,” says Stewart. “If knowledgeable and well-intentioned experts from other nations and cultures, along with Pomona students and faculty, get together with an aim to understand where others are coming from, good things happen for our students and our wider world.”

Read more on the gift from the Smith family and its foundation.

David Sklar ’83 and Susan Acevedo Give $1 Million to Create Scholarships for Low-Income Students

Pomona alumnus David Sklar ’83 and his wife, Susan Acevedo, endowed a scholarship fund in honor of their parents. Sklar and Acevedo share an intense belief in the power of educational access, and they credit their parents, Rita and Herbert Sklar and Margarita and Jesus Acevedo, with instilling in them the importance of higher education. This memorial gift will expand college access for low-income California students who plan to pursue studies in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) at Pomona.

“A Pomona liberal arts education holds tremendous value. The whole point of education is to be a complete, well-rounded person,” says Sklar, noting this can be especially challenging for STEM students. “That's where the liberal arts come in, and we are honored to be able to help the next generation access these opportunities.”

Read more on Sklar and Acevedo’s gift.

Ranney E. Draper ’60 Pledges $1 Million for Merritt Field Turf Transformation

A $1 million challenge gift from Trustee Emeritus Ranney E. Draper ’60 has helped fund a new state-of-the-art turf for Merritt Field. The $2.2 million transformation from grass to turf comes at a moment when the program is reaching new heights, competing in back-to-back-to-back Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC) championship games and winning the title in 2022 and 2024.

Draper, a longtime benefactor of �鶹��ý and Pomona-Pitzer Athletics, was captain of the football team and ran track. Miriam Merrill, Pomona-Pitzer athletics director and chair of physical education at Pomona, described Draper as a catalyst whose dedication and love for the College knows no bounds. “Ranney has leaned in by asking how Sagehen Athletics can be successful and what are the things we need to be successful,” Merrill says. “The connection he has with our coaches and staff is remarkable.”

“This unbelievable field—the best field in the SCIAC—is going to make an impact on a lot of people in football and outside of football, as well,” says head football coach . “It truly matches our philosophy of health, wellness and fitness.”

Read more on Draper’s gift for Merritt Field’s turf transformation.