Torchbearers 2012

At Torchbearers 2012, more than 200 alumnae, students, parents, and friends recognized donors and student recipients of Barnard’s scholarship, internship, and fellowship funds. This beloved annual event, which took place in The Diana Center on February 28, 2012, included an internship reception hosted by Career Development followed by a cocktail reception and dinner.  President Debora L. Spar welcomed guests and Judith W. Schwartz ’78 moved the crowd speaking on behalf of alumnae and friends. Beatrice Masters ’15, a cellist and prospective economics major, served as the emcee and spoke on behalf of students.
 

Dr. Judith Schwartz lovingly spoke about her parents Elizabeth and Fred Schwartz, both of whom are Hungarian immigrants and Holocaust survivors. When Dr. Schwartz decided to fund a scholarship at Barnard, it was her parents’ support and her experience as a first-generation American that informed the criteria for the fund. She created The Elizabeth and Fred Schwartz Scholarship Fund to support the children of immigrant parents in order to provide these students with the benefits of a Barnard education just like she received as a student.

Torchbearers 2012 - Judith Schwartz '78 from Barnard College on Vimeo.

Beatrice Masters ’15 capped the event speaking on behalf of the appreciative student recipients of scholarship, internship, and fellowship support. A native of Indiana, Bea described her experience coming to Barnard and finding a home here in spite of—or perhaps because of—the flux in her home life.

Torchbearers 2012 - Beatrice Masters '15 from Barnard College on Vimeo.

Barnard has hosted Torchbearers for more than a decade. While the event has changed over the years, it remains heartwarming and inspirational for students and donors alike as they exchange stories about their Barnard experiences and create a new one.

For information about student support funds at Barnard, please contact Abigail Talcott, Stewardship Officer, at (212) 854-0157 or atalcott@barnard.edu.