Opening the door to a La Salle University education

Thanks to a generous $1 million gift from Pauline Scalvino, '87, chair of La Salle University's Board of Trustees, Explorers in need of financial support will have assistance completing their education.

Scalvino'sgift will be used to establishthe ScalvinoFamily Student Success Initiative. Equally spread over three years, starting in fiscal year 2027, Explorers are eligible to receive up to $5,000 each per student per year.

Pauline Scalvino, '87, chair of the La Salle University Board of Trustees, will open doors for many deserving students who need financial support to earn their La Salle degree through a generous $1 million gift. This new commitment is in addition to a pledge for scholarship support in the amount of $500,000 that Scalvino made to La Salle in December 2024.

"La Salle had a huge impact on my and my family's life," Scalvino said. "I attribute a lot of my success as a lawyer and as a businessperson to my time at La Salle. La Salle provided an incredible opportunity for me, and I want to make similar opportunities available for the students who are here today and in the future."

Scalvino's gift will be used to establish the Scalvino Family Student Success Initiative. Equally spread over three years, starting in fiscal year 2027, Explorers are eligible to receive up to $5,000 each per student per year.

A first-generation student, Scalvino and her sister were encouraged throughout their teenage years to work hard and do well at St. Hubert Catholic High School in Philadelphia. Her parents sacrificed to send them there, Scalvino said, and were dedicated to giving them educational opportunities they did not have.

Receiving a Christian Brother's Scholarship, the support continued into her time at La Salle, where Scalvino had professors that supported, pushed, and encouraged her. When she made the decision to apply for law school after graduating from La Salle's Accounting Program, they challenged her to aim for the top. Scalvino graduated from Harvard Law School.

She spent the first six years of her career as a trial lawyer at Stradley Ronon in Philadelphia. She then moved to Vanguard, an investment management firm in Malvern, PA, where she held several roles in the legal department and others, including chief compliance officer and head of corporate strategy, over her 25-year tenure.

"All of us at La Salle are incredibly proud of Pauline's story, and grateful for the myriads of ways she's given back to the Explorer community since graduating. The Scalvino Family Student Success Initiative is yet another way that her generosity and belief in a Lasallian education will benefit our students," University President, Daniel J. Allen, Ph.D., said. "Because of Pauline, students who might otherwise be left behind will have not just the opportunity to attend La Salle, but to realize all that is possible for them."

Her generosity stems from her belief in the education La Salle provides.

"Our world needs what La Salle has to offer," Scalvino said. "Educating the whole person and teaching people how to think critically and debate and discuss important issues in a constructive and respectful way has never been more important. Preparing students for successful careers and to be good citizens and contributors to society has never been more important."

La Salle's positive trajectory also motivated her generosity, Scalvino said, citing the University's rising enrollment numbers and new course offerings.

"There's such great energy on campus," she said. "It's the perfect time to invest in the work that's being done and to invest in our students."

The Scalvino Family Student Success Initiative will prioritize support for returning undergraduate students with at least a 3.0 GPA, who demonstrate strong academic and intellectual curiosity, grit, perseverance, and accountability, financial need, and initiative shown through work, caregiving, leadership, athletics, or service. Students will be eligible for renewal of the scholarship for three years, as long as their GPA is maintained.

These students remind Scalvino of her own journey, and that of her social circle. They didn't have a lot of money or fancy pedigrees, she said, but they were all hard workers, determined, resilient, and would jump at any opportunity given to them.

"I want to help students who have a financial need, but they are academically talented, willing to work hard, and are curious about the world. They are willing to contribute positively to the La Salle community through their leadership, service, and participation in clubs or athletics," she said. "These are the types of students I want to make sure have access to the benefits of a La Salle education. I want to alleviate some of their financial burdens so they can remain at La Salle and focus on making their dreams come true."

As well as easing their financial burden and relieving stress, Scalvino also hopes that support from the Initiative will give students a boost.

"I hope they feel good that someone wants to invest in them, that someone believes in their potential," she said. "That type of belief and support-whether from friends and family or from a stranger-can mean so much."

Scalvino knows the value of this from her own experiences, and she's hoping to pay it forward.

"Pauline's gift is a powerful example of how the Explorer community continues to support each other," Freddie Pettit, vice president of university advancement, said. "Her generosity will help create pathways for many deserving students to achieve their goals during their undergraduate journey, and beyond, just as she did. She is proof that a La Salle education can set the foundation for a successful career and a meaningful life. We are incredibly grateful for Pauline's leadership and generosity, and for her care for our students."

As Chair of the Board of Trustees, a role she started in July 2025 after serving as a member since fall 2023, Scalvino has had the opportunity to meet and see a lot of La Salle students in action, as well as hear about some of the obstacles they've had to overcome. She hopes the initiative will open the door for those students.

"Unfortunately, for some students, the financial barriers to a La Salle education are too great. While they have great potential and are academically more than capable of doing well, their lack of financial resources gets in the way. That just should not be the case. Those students are just as deserving of attending La Salle as someone who grows up in a wealthy household. We need their contributions and talent as much as we need anyone's," she said. "I have complete confidence that once the door to a La Salle education is opened sufficiently, these students won't just walk through that door, they will run through at record speeds."

-Naomi Thomas