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Since its inception nearly 20 years ago, the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation has focused its time, effort, and resources on providing pathways to future success for youth across the Bay Area.

Those guiding principles have for many years found a partner in the Lasallian mission of Saint Mary’s College, and that pairing continues today with the announcement of a $2 million grant awarded to support undergraduate scholarships for students with financial need. 

The fund will provide $1 million to support the existing Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund, which would double the size of the endowment and make a lasting impact at Saint Mary’s. The other $1 million will provide annual financial aid scholarships to support students with financial need during academic years 2021–22 through 2025–26.

“The Gellert Foundation has a long history with Saint Mary’s College and a strong belief in the core Lasallian principles that shape the educational foundation that students receive at Saint Mary’s,” said Gellert Foundation board member and SMC trustee Kevin Flynn ’86. “The foundation has always tried to do things that are as impactful as possible, and we felt this would make a meaningful and lasting impact for students at Saint Mary’s.”

Scholarships will be awarded to undergraduate students who demonstrate financial need. Scholarships may be used for tuition and/or other costs of attendance. Each scholarship’s size and duration may vary, depending on each eligible student’s financial aid needs.

The funding will provide financial aid support for students who may not otherwise be able to afford college attendance because of the economic impact of the pandemic. It will also offer long-term scholarship support for additional students, in perpetuity, through the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Memorial Endowment Scholarship Fund. 

“Our Lasallian mission calls upon us to provide an outstanding, rigorous education to all of our students,” said Saint Mary’s President Richard Plumb, PhD. “This award, in addition to a long history of generosity from the Carl Gellert and Celia Berta Gellert Foundation, ensures that students who might otherwise be unable to attend college due to financial constraints receive a transformative education here at Saint Mary’s.”