Michael D. Ferguio Memorial FastStart Award
One of the most important goals of our chapter is to promote the welfare of Penn State and to provide service to our members. We’ve taken this a step further by creating an endowed fund that can support and assist incoming freshman students from the five boroughs of New York City and Westchester County.
This endowment is named in honor of Michael D. Ferugio, a former Penn State NYC Chapter President who died on September 11, 2001.
The Award
The cost to attend Penn State University as an out-of-state student is now over $53,000 per year. The Michael D. Ferugio Memorial FastStart Award will help offset some of these costs while continuing to honor Michael’s legacy by helping Nittany Lions pursue their dreams of graduating from Penn State. PSUNYC has created the Penn State Chapter of New York City Michael D. Ferugio Memorial FastStart Award.
This award directly supports New York City-area students from underrepresented populations who participate in a program called FastStart. Students from New York City or Westchester County that participate in FastStart will receive a scholarship towards tuition.
About Michael
On the morning of September 11, 2001, 37-year-old Michael David Ferugio, Penn State Engineering Class of 1987 and former NYC Alumni Club President, was attending a meeting at Aon Corporation on the 105 floor of the South tower of the World Trade Center. He never came home.
Michael was the embodiment of Penn State spirit and was a champion of the human spirit. He was the son of a steam pipe fitter and the grandson of a coal miner. He never forgot where he came from, and his success did not change his outlook on life, friends said. His smile was contagious. He didn't brag or boast. His helping hand was a secret known only to those he helped. He led by example.
If you ever spoke with Michael you might have thought he and Joe Paterno were longtime friends.
Ferugio often wore blue and white. His mood soared and soured depending on the success or failure of the Penn State football team. He loved to recount the 1987 Fiesta Bowl match-up between Miami and the underdog Nittany Lions, who defeated their opponent with grit and will. "It was the greatest day in his life -- second to our wedding, but I'm not quite sure," says his wife, Susan, with a laugh.
As an insurance broker at Swett & Crawford, a division of Aon, Ferugio befriended many people, including those who emptied his garbage can and vacuumed his cubicle. Susan, who lived with her husband in Brooklyn, learned of these friends after flipping through his address book. One entry read: "Ludmilla, cleaning woman, 31st floor-WT2, son is at Penn State!!"
When Joe Paterno heard that Ferugio was lost on that dreadful day, he wrote a letter that was read at Michael’s funeral service. "Mike truly was Penn State proud and Mike made Penn State proud of him," he wrote.
The NYC Penn State community was so moved by the example of Michael’s Penn State spirit that many contributions were made in his honor to complete the scholarship’s first level of endowment. It was only fitting that in 2002 this scholarship was officially renamed in honor of Michael David Ferugio, an amazing Penn Stater and an amazing man.
About FastStart
FastStart is a mentorship program supported by the Penn State Alumni Association. FastStart was formed in 1996 to enrich the student experience of Penn State first year students who identify from underrepresented populations. Since its inception FastStart has supported matriculation, persistence, academic achievement and professional development of Penn State students.
FastStart operates using a triad mentorship model, first–year students (Mentees) are matched with a Penn State faculty/staff mentor and alumni (Mentors). This will support mentees to get their college career off to a “FastStart” by supporting students to flourish in their new university environment.
More information about FastStart and how to apply to be a mentee or mentor can be found here.
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