The scholarship established by Elon 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 Elon LEADS Campaign, which concludes Dec. 31, 2022.
Elon 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 Elon Engagement Scholarship, helping to make a life-changing Elon education possible for talented students. The couple’s gift is driving the success of the Elon LEADS Campaign, 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 Elon is and are very pleased to help students from all backgrounds to fully experience it.”
Deepening scholarship funding is the top priority of Elon LEADS, the largest fundraising campaign in Elon’s history that concludes on Dec. 31. Elon Engagement Scholarships are designed to assist promising incoming students who embody the spirit and values of Elon 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 Elon Experiences programs, including global study, internships, undergraduate research, service learning and leadership development.
“The Elon community is indebted to Dave and Suzanne for helping to make an Elon education possible for talented students who make us a stronger university,” said John Gardner ’01, senior director of development at Elon.
The couple’s daughter, Julia Lissy ’24, is an Elon 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 Elon in Los Angeles program. Julia works on the staff of The Edge, the online fashion and lifestyle magazine created by Elon students.
“Our daughter made the right decision to go to Elon and she is flourishing there,” Suzanne said. “She feels like Elon is a second home for her.”
The Lissys have also been impressed with how Elon encourages intellectual and personal growth in students.
“Since Julia started at Elon, 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 Elon. We have a lot of confidence that Elon is on a good path and continues to grow, and we hope this gift helps to continue that progress.”
The Elon LEADS Campaign
Elon 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 Elon’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 Elon for generations to come. To learn more about how you can make an impact now, visit www.elonleads.com.