Joyce '50 and Eileen '43 Alessandrini

A Family Legacy

Joyce and Eileen Alessandrini

Joyce '50 and Eileen '43 Alessandrini

Joyce and Eileen Alessandrini had plenty in common besides being sisters who went to Barnard College. They attended the same high school in Schenectady, New York, enjoyed 25 years of traveling together after retirement, and both wanted to leave a lasting legacy of support for Barnard.

As Joyce '50 and Eileen '43 grew further away from graduation in age, they connected closely with the College's planned giving team to set up an endowed scholarship, funded by a revocable trust after their passing. The hope was to pay it forward to bright students who could benefit from the same Barnard education that they received.

The Joyce M. and Eileen I. Alessandrini Scholarship, which in alternate years supports students studying in the sisters' chosen fields of physics and the social sciences, received $1.3 million in estate funds and is now worth almost $1.5 million. This lasting fund will enable Barnard to make scholarship awards every year in perpetuity.

Celine Zhu

"Coming from a low-income immigrant family, the support and opportunities that I have been able to experience at Barnard have been truly unparalleled."
—Celine Zhu '20

The Lasting Impact

Since the first distributions from the scholarship fund were made upon Eileen's passing in 2015, it has supported multiple students working in physics and the social sciences, including Celine Zhu '20, a political science major. Celine has received the scholarship twice, and has shown great promise as a young law professional.

"Coming from a low-income immigrant family, the support and opportunities that I have been able to experience at Barnard have been truly unparalleled," says Celine.

"In high school, all I hoped for was a degree, but at Barnard, I have done things I thought impossible."

Just like Joyce and Eileen, you can support educational opportunities at Barnard College. To learn more, please contact JiHae Munro at 212.853.8313 or jmunro@barnard.edu.