Following her graduation from Nazareth College in 1970, Alicia Lamphron spent 35 years as a social worker with the Rochester Psychiatric Center. “If you’re in a profession like social work, you have to have an interest in people,” says Lamphron. “That’s a given.” Lamphron credits her alma mater with helping her to develop that kind of interest and compassion. “Nazareth makes sure that students have a wide array of experiences and learning,” she adds. “You’re not just taught to do a certain kind of work. You’re taught to be a good citizen.”

Retiring in 2003, Lamphron started to think about what else she could do for Nazareth and its current students. She had already established herself as a long-time donor to the College, with more than 35 consecutive years of giving. She had also named the College in her will and joined Nazareth’s Founders Society. “But I decided it would make sense for me to start giving now,” says Lamphron. “The idea of being involved and choosing a direction for my gift was an added benefit.”

Last year, Lamphron honored her long professional background by establishing a scholarship that would assist a social work student in the School of Health and Human Services. She also decided that she would like to see that scholarship awarded to a veteran. “I knew the important work that Nazareth had been doing with veterans,” she explains.

As she considers the impact of her giving on the future of these scholarship recipients, Lamphron hopes that they will come to share her deep feelings about her alma mater. “Nazareth provides a very high quality education that not only grounds students in their ultimate professions, but also in their community,” she says. “Nazareth helps people become interested and involved in the community in which they live.”