Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund
As a young mother, Rosemarie Zaro ‘83 was teaching second grade at St. Paul’s School in Norristown, Pa. when the principal, Sister Elizabeth Anne, RSM, encouraged her to explore a bachelor’s teaching degree from GMercyU. While a student at GMercyU, Rosemarie raised her two daughters, Marlena and Christa; her son, John, was just five months old when she completed her degree.
Two years after she graduated, Rosemarie was diagnosed with Acute Lymphocytic Leukemia. Despite undergoing treatment and even finding a bone marrow donor in Iowa, Rosemarie passed away from an infection at the age of 42 on May 22, 1987.
To keep her memory alive, Rosemarie’s husband Dr. John Zaro established The Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund at GMercyU with the help of Sister Lois McDonough, RSM. The Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund was the first endowed scholarship in GMercyU’s history.
“She was so proud of her Gwynedd Mercy affiliations, and wanted to help women achieve their career goals. She always felt that she learned so much by teaching people,” Dr. Zaro shared.
Since its inception, the Rosemarie Zaro Scholarship Fund has impacted more than 60 students with more than $200,000 given to assist in making college more affordable. The scholarship is offered to students displaying financial need, with an emphasis on women with children or other family obligations.
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