Dear Friends, Alumni, and Classmates,
This is my last message as President of the Cooper Union Alumni Association (CUAA). I am filled with gratitude for the hard work the Council has put forth during my term. Their commitment and willingness to volunteer allowed us to accomplish much over the last two years, including:
- Hosting several events, including an in-person Alumni Awards ceremony and holiday party;
- Celebrating commencement, and presenting seniors with a Cooper Box Kite and Peter Cooper bobbleheads;
- Supporting the Cooper Union with fundraising;
- Amending the CUAA by-laws and CUAA protocols, including modernizing our election procedures; and
- Launching an updated website (more on that later).
I invite you all to continue and increase your participation under our new President, Ron Vogel. Ron served as the Treasurer for the past several years, and other roles within the CUAA before that.
Importantly, Ron and I thank those who have thoughtfully supported The Cooper Union Annual Fund this year and in the past. Cooper Union’s 2022-2023 fiscal year ends today, on June 30. With your help, we can meet this year’s goal and be in an outstanding position along the plan to return to full tuition scholarships for all undergraduate students. As you may know, 45% of undergraduate students already receive full scholarships and 80% receive scholarship assistance of more than 50% of their tuition.
Our continued success on the path to a free Cooper Union depends on all of us. Whether you contribute today, or in the new fiscal year, every contribution is appreciated and goes towards providing full scholarships to future students who will in turn join the ranks of the CUAA.
I am excited to share that every donation will be matched, up to $1.8 million, thanks to the generosity of George Wallerstein. George’s gift is in memory of his father, Leo Wallerstein, who came to the U.S. in 1900 and graduated from The Cooper Union in 1904. Your donation will be doubled, and new and increased gifts will have triple the impact!
To donate and benefit from the matching gift: Please use this link
Thank you all for supporting The Cooper Union and the CUAA, and for your participation in CUAA activities, all of which added so much to my term as CUAA President. I look forward to Ron’s tenure!