Signature Fundraising Gala Returns After Pandemic Sidelined It—Twice

3/9/2022

Long-Awaited Event to Honor Excellence, Support Student Scholarships

It’s back!

The Scholarship Tribute Dinner is set to return to Cipriani 25 Broadway on Monday, May 2, 2022.

Affectionately referred to as “the Mount’s biggest night out,” the gala directly supports life-altering scholarships and financial aid awards, providing our students with the best academic and cocurricular opportunities available.

Tickets are available now—explore sponsorship opportunities and support Mount students.

Since its founding, the College has sought to expand educational opportunity—something it continues to do exceptionally well. We serve a diverse population of students who possess extraordinary ability, but also limited means. Half of our students are among the first generation of their families to pursue higher education—but that doesn’t stop us from supporting them every step of the way. By uniting leaders in business, government, and other industries to raise scholarship funds, the annual event allows us to recognize the generosity of scholarship donors and the recipients of their awards. All proceeds from the gala allow us to maintain our commitment to serving these determined students of every background, without regard for their financial means.

This year, we’re pleased to honor three individuals—including two graduates of the Mount—who truly exemplify the College’s mission: Susan Chiaviello DiDonato ’82, Gerald DiDonato ’83, and Grace Vandecruze.

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In 2020, the College was eager to honor Susan Chiaviello DiDonato ’82 and Gerald (Gerry) DiDonato ’83, Ph.D. at the Scholarship Tribute Dinner. Unfortunately, the pandemic had other plans and the event was postponed—twice. Now, in 2022, we’re pleased to finally welcome Susan and Gerry—yes, they were college sweethearts—back to Cipriani.

Susan and Gerry met at Mount Saint Vincent in the fall of 1979. Susan, a sophomore at the time, and Gerry, a freshman transfer, moved in the same circles for a while. They began dating that summer and by the following year they were inseparable. Today, they continue to powerfully demonstrate the impact of a Mount education, utilizing their knowledge, time, and talents to strengthen communities and industries through professional achievement and dedicated engagement in civic organizations.

After her graduation from the Mount, Susan embarked on a long career in marketing and advertising. In 2016 she was recruited to WPP’s health and wellness division, where her skillful management and keen eye for talent drew the attention of higher-ups. Today, she is the Senior Vice President for HR Advisory/Business Integrity. Susan also is a member of the College’s Board of Trustees.

Gerry arrived at the Mount after dropping out of a large university and working for a year at a nonprofit for children with disabilities. Feeling adrift, he took the advice of a professor who recommended starting fresh as a first-year student—it’s then that he launched his career at the Mount. After earning his B.S. in chemistry, Gerry eventually went on to receive a Ph.D. from Indiana University. Now, he’s in his fourth decade at Bristol-Myers Squibb, where he currently serves as the Senior Director for Regulatory Sciences-CMC Biologics.

Yet despite success in their respective fields, both DiDonatos are proudest of their most enduring and rewarding collaboration—their three children. Each praises the other’s involvement and devotion to helping their kids grow into kind, responsible, successful adults with full lives and generous hearts.

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We are also proud to honor Grace Vandecruze, a devoted mentor to students from disadvantaged and underrepresented backgrounds. Founder and Managing Director of Grace Global Capital, LLC, a consulting firm providing M&A financial advisory, restructuring, and valuation to insurance companies and financial regulators, Grace’s career has been dedicated to the relentless mission of advising her clients in effectively executing growth strategy and managing capital. With more than 25 years of experience in the areas of finance, accounting, internal controls, and financial reporting for public companies, including senior roles with financial institutions, she has delivered advisory expertise on over $25 billion of insurance transactions.

She earned her MBA in finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania and a BBA in accounting from Pace University. Before attending The Wharton School, Grace began her career as an auditor at Ernst & Young. From there, she went on to hold positions as an Associate in the Financial Institutions Group at Merrill Lynch, as a Vice President at a private equity firm specializing in the insurance industry, and as Managing Director at Swiss Re.

Currently, Grace serves on the Wharton Graduate Executive Board as well as the boards of PIMCO Closed End Funds, Resolution Holdings Life Group, Link Logistics, and The Doctors Company. She is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in New York and is a member of the AICPA and the New York State Society of CPAs. The recipient of several leadership awards, she has been selected as one of the “Directors to Watch” by Directors & Boards magazine, “Woman to Watch” by Business Insurance magazine, and was recently awarded “Corporate Woman of the Year” by Pace University. An active member in the community, Grace has served on the boards of The Clay Center and Thomas Memorial Hospital. She is a licensed sailor and has participated in climbing expeditions to Bhutan, Annapurna, Kilimanjaro, Elbrus, and Everest Base Camp.

And her achievements don’t stop there. Grace has not only been featured in the books Be Happy at Work, 100 Women Who Love their Jobs and Why by Joanne Gordon and Doing it Ourselves: Success Stories of African American Women in Business by Donna Ballard, but she has recently authored her own international best-selling book, Homeless to Millionaire: 6 Keys to UPLIFT Your Financial Abundance.

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We are thrilled to recognize Susan, Gerry, and Grace—three wonderful individuals whose lives of achievement reflect a profound dedication to their principles, as illustrated by the values of the College and the charism of our founders, the Sisters of Charity of New York.

We hope you’ll join us on May 2 as we support the extraordinary efforts of this Right Place on the River and share the inspirational stories of our honorees, our institution, and, most importantly, our students.

Help us make this year’s event a success! Learn more.

About the University of Mount Saint Vincent
Founded in 1847 by the Sisters of Charity, the University of Mount Saint Vincent offers nationally recognized liberal arts education and a select array of professional fields of study on a landmark campus overlooking the Hudson River. Committed to the education of the whole person, and enriched by the unparalleled cultural, educational and career opportunities of New York City, the College equips students with the knowledge, skills and experiences necessary for lives of achievement, professional accomplishment and leadership in the 21st century.