The Manhattan College Lasallian Ambassadors logo. MANHATTAN.EDU/COURTESY
By Lauren Raziano, Copy Editor/Web Editor
Manhattan College is the only Lasallian higher education institution in New York City, and is now seeking to expand their Lasallian tradition through a revised scholarship award.
The Lasallian Scholars Award is a $2,000 scholarship that is offered annually to all full-time undergraduate students who have graduated from a Lasallian high school, secondary or middle school. The school’s website, manhattan.edu, states that there are currently 13 Lasallian Scholars from Lasallian High Schools.
The award is named after John Baptist de La Salle, the Patron Saint of Educators and Founder of the Brothers of the Christian Schools. There is no application process for this scholarship.
Ben Boivin, ’09 & M.S. ’15, is the current director of undergraduate admissions and was the recipient of the Lasallian Scholars award from class of 2009.
“I am the director of undergraduate admissions at the college and a proud Jasper, class of 2009, I actually came to Manhattan College from a Lasallian scholarship,” Boivin wrote in an email to The Quadrangle. “If I did not get the scholarship I did, I would not have been able to come to Manhattan College from the Christian Brothers Academy in Albany, NY.”
As the director of undergraduate admissions, Boivin has a unique perspective on how to acquire more students from Lasallian high schools.
“From an enrollment standpoint, we are visiting more Lasallian high schools this year than we have in the past decade,” Boivin said. “We are going to places like Boca Raton, Fla., San Francisco, Calif., Philadelphia, Pa., Albany, Troy, Buffalo and Syracuse, N.Y., Baltimore, Md., Lincroft, N.J., Washington D.C., Providence, R.I. and Chicago, Ill. in search of future Jaspers from Lasallian institutions.”
Boivin is working towards making Manhattan College a premier Lasallian institution.
“Our goal is to put Manhattan College on the map as the premier Lasallian institution of higher learning in the United States,” Boivin wrote. “I think if St. John Baptist De La Salle were around today, he would be proud of the Lasallian Scholars Award and the initiative to bring more students to campus.”
As a Lasallian Scholar, students are a part of the Lasallian Ambassador Program, which is composed of students that came from Lasallian secondary schools around the country. There is a special blog for the Lasallian scholars to post on so that they can share their experience at Manhattan College.
According to Boivin, the Lasallian Ambassadors Program has changed over the years to be more inclusive.
“As the Lasallian ambassadors program has changed over the years, we decided to change that scholarship to a more inclusive scholarship. The Lasallian Ambassador program was given to a select group of Lasallian high school graduates who possessed leadership skills and could bring the Lasallian values to Manhattan College,” Boivin wrote.
Since students are in the different majors at Manhattan College, the blog allows all on campus to connect as leaders and share life in the Lasallian values of unity, justice, respect, inclusion and service to others.
“The new Lasallian Scholars Award replaces the ambassador program,” Boivin wrote. “We felt this was a wonderful way to recruit more Lasallian students and on a mission-level it will also bring more Lasallian leaders into our community.”
Abbey Mink, sophomore political science and philosophy double major, is one of the recipients of the Lasallian Scholars Award.
Mink attended Bishop Kelley High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Aside from being a member of Jasper’s swim team, Mink is an active member of the Rainbow Jaspers, the LGBTQ+ student group. Mink values the Lasallian scholarship.
“It means being part of a community that cares about the well-being of those around them,” Mink wrote in an email to The Quadrangle.
Mink plans on abiding by Lasallian values past undergraduate school by pursuing a law degree.
“Social justice is really important to me, in the future I plan to attend law school and work for a public defenders office so that I can help those less fortunate,” Mink wrote.
Daniel Cipollone, junior civil engineering major, is an alum from St. Peter’s Boys High School on Staten Island, N.Y. and another Lasallian scholarship recipient.
Cipollone wrote that being a Lasallian Scholar is about embodying the Lasallian values.
“To be a Lasallian scholar is to embody the values of faith, service and community as I continue my education over the years,” Cipollone wrote in an email to The Quadrangle.
Lasallian scholars are encouraged to be an active participant in campus leadership activities and spread the word of the Lasallian mission and the heritage of Saint John Baptist De La Salle to their peers through their actions.
As a member of ASCE and Engineers without Borders, Cipollone values his commitment to being involved in the Lasallian community at Manhattan College. According to manhattan.edu, Cipollone is also a student worker for campus ministry and a Fair Trade advocate.
“I plan on continuing my Lasallian values by staying involved in the community and helping others in my field of work when I graduate,” Cipollone wrote.
To know more information about the Lasallian Scholars, check out their Instagram: @MC_lasallianambassadors.