Leadership from Vanessa Allen Sutherland C’92 and Anthony Caruso C’05, Michael Caruso C’08, and Domenick Caruso C’12 inspired the Drew community to expand access and opportunity for students
September 2026 – This spring, two alumni-led scholarship challenges inspired the Drew University community to come together in support of students, generating nearly $500,000 from over 250 donors and demonstrating the powerful ripple effect of philanthropy.
Through the Caruso Scholarship Challenge and the Vanessa Allen Sutherland C’92 Scholarship Challenge, alumni, parents, families, faculty, staff, and friends joined together to build on the generosity of the challenges’ lead donors. Both challenges exceeded expectations, providing immediate support that is already helping make a Drew education more accessible for students during the 2026-27 academic year.
While each challenge took a different approach, both began with the same idea: philanthropy can inspire philanthropy, and collective generosity can open doors for Drew students.
The Caruso Scholarship Challenge, established through the generosity of Anthony Caruso C’05, Michael Caruso C’08, and Domenick Caruso C’12, offered a $50,000 matching commitment. Gifts were matched dollar for dollar, while members of the Classes of 2005, 2008, and 2012 saw their generosity go even further through a special 2-to-1 match.
The response was immediate. The Drew community fulfilled the Carusos’ $50,000 matching commitment more than a month before the June 30 deadline, but donors continued to give. By the conclusion of the effort, the challenge had inspired over $93,000 in gifts from more than 250 donors, which, together with the Carusos’ $50,000 commitment, generated about $143,000 for student scholarships.
The enthusiasm surrounding the challenge was evident beyond the dollars raised. Some donors increased their usual giving or made an additional gift beyond their annual contribution to take greater advantage of the match. Others returned to Drew with their first gift after time away, while new donors made their first-ever gifts to the University.
At the same time, the Vanessa Allen Sutherland C’92 Scholarship Challenge was creating another powerful source of momentum for student support.
Sutherland committed $150,000 to inspire the creation of six new $25,000 current-use scholarships, matching each new scholarship with an additional $25,000. In less than three months, donors exceeded the challenge goal, establishing eight new scholarships—two more than originally envisioned.
Together with Sutherland’s $150,000 commitment, the challenge generated $350,000 in scholarship support for Drew students.
For Sutherland, the response reflects the belief that inspired her to launch the challenge in the first place: that scholarships can provide students with access not only to Drew, but to the experiences that can shape their lives and careers.
“Scholarships can set a student on a pathway to internships and opportunities that become the differentiator in their careers,” said Sutherland. “To see the Drew community embrace this challenge and continue creating scholarships even after the original goal was met is incredibly meaningful. I hope this spirit of giving continues to create opportunities for students for generations to come.”
For students, those numbers translate into something much more meaningful: opportunity.
Scholarship support helps talented students choose Drew, continue their education, and more fully engage in the experiences that define a Drew education. It can reduce financial barriers while providing greater freedom to pursue research, internships, leadership opportunities, athletics, experiential learning, and the academic experiences that prepare students for what comes next.
“The extraordinary response to these two challenges speaks to what is possible when the Drew community comes together around our students,” said President Hilary L. Link. “Vanessa, Anthony, Michael, and Domenick led with generosity and invited others to join them. The result is an investment that expands access to a Drew education and gives more students the opportunity to discover their purpose, pursue their ambitions, and add to the world’s good.”
The impact of that generosity is already being felt as students begin a new academic year at Drew. Current-use scholarship support generated through these efforts provides immediate assistance, helping ensure that students can take full advantage of the opportunities available to them throughout their Drew experience.
Drew University extends its gratitude to Vanessa Allen Sutherland C’92; Anthony Caruso C’05, Michael Caruso C’08, and Domenick Caruso C’12; and every donor who participated in these remarkable efforts.
