David Klein â85 is assisting high-achieving students from communities often under represented in higher education.
By Keith Walters â11
Nearly a decade ago, after years of notable success as an executive but distanced from his alma mater, David Klein â85 was drawn back into Geneseoâs orbit. A fraternity brother who served on the Geneseo Foundation Board invited him back to campus for a visit and a drink.
âI hadnât been in touch with anyone from Geneseo for a while,â Klein says. âI just went back for a beer; it wasnât supposed to be more than that.â
Ten years later, that casual meeting has evolved into a position on the Foundation Board and philanthropic generosity toward Geneseo and its students.
Klein was appointed to the Foundation Board in 2018, during which time he served as CFO of Constellation Brands, Inc. Recognizing the unique qualities inherent in Geneseo graduatesâwhich he describes as âscrappy, driven, and humbleââKlein created an internship program at Constellation Brands for students in the School of Business. His insights into the professional potential of Geneseo alums compelled him to provide students with practical opportunities to apply their skills in a real-world business environment.
âGeneseo graduates are as smart as anyone I know,â says Klein. âThereâs something special about what the school produces.â
This year, Klein established the David Klein â85 Scholarship Fund. The scholarship covers full tuition for four years for five students in the Multicultural Fellows Program, which provides financial resources and mentorship to help level the playing field for students from disenfranchised backgrounds. Specifically, the program seeks to support high-achieving students from underrepresented communities in higher education.
Mabel Delgado â28, a first-generation college student from the Bronx, is one of the inaugural recipients of Kleinâs scholarship.
âThis scholarship means everything to me and my family,â says Delgado. âItâs a weight off my momâs shoulders. Sheâs always worked so hard to give me opportunities she didnât have, and now I can show her that all her sacrifices were worth it.â
Delgado recalls the moment she found out she received the scholarship. âWhen I saw the email, I couldnât believe it,â she says. âI told my mom, and she started crying. She said she was so proud of me and that weâd been working for this my whole life.â
Delgado plans to major in biology and become a physical therapist. Her passion for health care began early, when her mother encountered difficulties navigating the medical system after experiencing a stroke.
âMy mom struggled because of a language barrier,â recalls Delgado, who is bilingual. âI remember translating for her at the hospital and thinking, âI want to help people like my mom navigate the healthcare system so they donât get taken advantage of.ââ
While Geneseo is known for producing high-caliber graduates, Kleinânow CEO of Canopy Growth Corporationâknows that enrolling in college, let alone graduating, is not an equal opportunity for all students.
âWhat I like about the Multicultural Fellows Program is that itâs not just providing students with financial support,â says Klein. âItâs actively helping them transition to college because students who donât have a support network or family who have previously attended college donât necessarily have that guidance.â
Klein is among several alumni who have provided gifts to help students make college a reality. In 2018, Greg OâConnell â64 established the Greg â64 and Elizabeth OâConnell Family Endowment in support of underrepresented and underserved students.
More recently, Frank â88 and Jeanne â87 Simuro established the Frank and Jeanne Simuro Scholarship Fund, which provides annual scholarships for under-resourced students pursuing STEM majors.
âItâs important to give Geneseo the tools to compete for students who meet all the criteria of a Geneseo student but require financial assistance,â Klein says. âI choose to help current students afford and succeed at Geneseo right now because itâs my version of a pay-it-forward mentality. You can change peopleâs lives today and know they will do so for others when itâs their turn.â