Charity Purchas ’13 had little hope she could participate in a spring break trip to London as part of her “Many Faiths, One Humanity” course. Finances are extremely tight for Purchas, a dual major in political science and sociology, who manages a convenience store to support herself. Until recently, she was also the primary caregiver for her grandmother, who has Alzheimer’s disease.
Just weeks before spring break, an unexpected opening and a grant from the College of Arts and Sciences put the longed-for trip within Purchas’s reach. Then she found out she needed an expedited passport, at the cost of $200. “I just didn’t have the money to pay for it,” she says. “And without the passport, I couldn’t go.”
Thanks to the fund James R. Hassett established in memory of his wife Claire Probert Hassett ’49, to help students, the dean of Hendricks Chapel, The Rev. Tiffany Steinwert, provided Purchas with the money for the passport. “I am deeply grateful to Mr. Hassett, who loved and honored his wife so much he created this fund in her name,” Purchas says. “He made a miracle happen for me.”
You, too, can make a difference!
To learn how you can have a positive impact on the life of a student, contact the Office of Gift Planning at 888.352.9535, e-mail us at giftplan@syr.edu, or visit www.syracuse.planyourlegacy.org/.
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