Saint Mary’s Receives Bequest of More Than $6 Million for Angela Project and Scholarship
May 12, 2016 (Notre Dame, Ind.) — Saint Mary’s College gratefully announces a gift of more than $6 million from the trust of Mary Lee Sheftic ’58. It is one of the largest bequests in the history of the College. Sheftic’s gift will endow a scholarship in her name and provide resources for the renovation and expansion of the Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex. College leaders will honor Sheftic and recognize her gift at a reception today at 3 p.m. in the north lobby of the Cushwa-Leighton Library.
“We are blessed by the generosity of our alumna Mary Lee Sheftic. I wish that I had known her and had the opportunity to thank her personally for such a transformational gift,” said President Carol Ann Mooney ’72. The president noted that the endowed scholarship will allow women to benefit from the education that helped form Sheftic into the empowered woman she became.
Julie Schroeder-Biek ’88, director of athletics, expressed heartfelt gratitude for the investment in the Angela project. “Mary Lee Sheftic’s gift helped make our dreams of the new Angela Athletic & Wellness Complex a reality. Our generous donors have helped us get up a mountain and this gift allowed us to put the flag at the summit. The generosity of our alumnae is just amazing.”
Sheftic, who passed away in Boswell, PA in May 2015 at age 78, graduated from Saint Mary’s College in 1958 with a major in commerce and a minor in speech and drama. She appeared in several productions as a student, including A Midsummer Night’s Dream, The Bear, and starred in The Long Christmas Dinner. After graduation, she went on to receive a master’s degree from Penn State University. She taught school in Virginia for several years before working as the vice president of the Peoples Bank and Trust. She also served on the First Commonwealth Financial Corp. Board of Directors.
About Saint Mary’s College: Saint Mary’s College, Notre Dame, Ind., is a four-year, Catholic, residential, women’s liberal arts college offering five bachelor’s degrees and more than 30 major areas of study, such as business, nursing, art, chemistry, and social work. Saint Mary’s College also offers two graduate degrees: a Master of Science and a Doctorate. All programs that fall under these degrees are co-educational and include a Master of Science in Data Science, a Master of Science in Speech Language Pathology, and a Doctorate of Nursing Practice. Founded in 1844 by the Sisters of the Holy Cross, Saint Mary’s College seeks, according to its mission statement, to educate students, develop their talents, and prepare them to make a difference in the world. Saint Mary’s College ranks among the top 100 Best National Liberal Arts Colleges for 2016 published by U.S. News & World Report. Follow Saint Mary's College on Twitter @saintmarys and @saintmarysnews.
Contact for News Media: Gwen O’Brien, director of media relations, Saint Mary’s College, gobrien@saintmarys.edu (574) 284-4579.