The scholarship established by Ƶ parents Dave and Suzanne Lissy P’24 through the Lissy Family Foundation will help recruit outstanding students who will become graduates the world needs. The couple’s gift is part of the Ƶ LEADS Campaign, which concludes Dec. 31, 2022.
Ƶ parents Dave and Suzanne Lissy P’24 of Needham, Massachusetts, have made a generous gift via the Lissy Family Foundation to endow the Lissy Family Ƶ Engagement Scholarship, helping to make a life-changing Ƶ education possible for talented students. The couple’s gift is driving the success of the , which concludes on Dec. 31.
“We believe strongly in the power of education to transform lives, and we created the Lissy Family Foundation, in part, based on our desire to make higher education and other educational opportunities more accessible,” Dave Lissy said.
“Education is of the highest importance to us,” Suzanne Lissy said. “We have come to appreciate how special Ƶ is and are very pleased to help students from all backgrounds to fully experience it.”
Deepening scholarship funding is the top priority of Ƶ LEADS, the largest fundraising campaign in Ƶ’s history that concludes on Dec. 31. Ƶ Engagement Scholarships are designed to assist promising incoming students who embody the spirit and values of Ƶ and are eager to benefit from the university’s national leadership in engaged learning.
Engagement Scholarships include a one-time grant for students to participate in the renowned Ƶ Experiences programs, including global study, internships, undergraduate research, service learning and leadership development.
“The Ƶ community is indebted to Dave and Suzanne for helping to make an Ƶ education possible for talented students who make us a stronger university,” said John Gardner ’01, senior director of development at Ƶ.
The couple’s daughter, Julia Lissy ’24, is an Ƶ junior studying strategic communications. She is spending fall semester in London, including doing an internship, and hopes to build on that experience by pursuing the Ƶ in Los Angeles program. Julia works on the staff of The Edge, the online fashion and lifestyle magazine created by Ƶ students.
“Our daughter made the right decision to go to Ƶ and she is flourishing there,” Suzanne said. “She feels like Ƶ is a second home for her.”
The Lissys have also been impressed with how Ƶ encourages intellectual and personal growth in students.
“Since Julia started at Ƶ, she’s developed her own independence and has found an opportunity to connect in a lot of different ways,” Dave said. “That has given her opportunities to grow academically and socially and prepare her for what she’s going to do after Ƶ. We have a lot of confidence that Ƶ is on a good path and continues to grow, and we hope this gift helps to continue that progress.”
The Ƶ LEADS Campaign
Ƶ LEADS is the most ambitious fundraising campaign in the university’s history and supports four main priorities: scholarships to support graduates the world needs, increased access to engaged learning opportunities such as study abroad, research and internships, support for faculty and staff mentors who matter, and development of Ƶ’s iconic campus.
Every gift to the university—including annual, endowment, capital, estate and other planned gifts—for any designation counts as a gift to the campaign, which will support students and strengthen Ƶ for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact now, visit .