Zeckendorf Dinner Supports C.W. Post Scholarships

Scholarships have helped photography major Christy Gardner pursue her dreams.

C.W. Post Senior Christy Gardner has big plans for her future. A goalie for the women’s lacrosse and field hockey teams, she plans to pursue a career as a sports writer and photographer. This career plan, tailor-made with help from her academic and career advisors, dedicated professors and staff members, combines her interests in writing, photography and sports. Christy is even considering an offer to play for a professional lacrosse team in Ireland.

All these dreams would be for naught if it were not for the athletic and academic scholarships she has received from the C.W. Post Campus of Long Island University, which is why the campus’s annual William Zeckendorf, Sr. Benefit dinner is so important.

Proceeds from the annual Zeckendorf dinner, which was held on November 4, 2003 is helping fund much-needed scholarships for students like Christy. More than 200 people attended the dinner at the Westin in New York City and $250,000 was raised for student scholarships. The benefit honoree was Daniel R. Tishman, chairman and chief executive officer of Tishman Construction, Interiors & Technologies Corporation, and executive vice president of Tishman Realty Corporation.

“Without those scholarships, I wouldn’t be in college in the first place,” said Christy, who has been extremely active on campus with the Pioneer student newspaper, the Opticon yearbook, the Association for Campus Programming, working as a resident assistant, and a part-time job in the Conference Services department. “None of these opportunities would have been possible were it not for those scholarships. If I had to juggle many jobs to pay for tuition, it would have been tough to pursue extra-curricular activities, and I wouldn’t have had a lot of time to study. I don’t even think I would have been able to attend college at all; I would probably be working some part-time job back home.”

Robert Neugebauer can play collegiate sports and study without worrying about paying for college.

“Back home” is Auburn, Maine, where mom, Norma Gardner, shared tales of C.W. Post as her daughter was growing up. A C.W. Post alumna from the 1970s, Norma later became one of the first female trainers in the C.W. Post Athletic Department. By Christy’s account, her mom was “pretty excited” about her daughter’s decision to enroll at C.W. Post.

Likewise, senior Robert Neugebauer’s mother was also thrilled with her son’s choice of a college, though not because of any prior connection. Robert says that she liked it because the campus is not far from the family’s Sayville, N.Y. home.

Despite family support, however, the road to a degree in physical education has not been easy for Robert, who had to take out loans to complete his education. “A scholarship is so helpful because it is another loan that I can erase,” he says. “That way, my loans won’t seem like a mountain that can’t be climbed.”

Robert has worked hard to make it through, playing on the football team and working as a resident assistant for the past three years. He is now completing student-teaching in the Westbury School District, and hopes to graduate in the spring.

“Coming to C.W. Post has turned out to be one of the best decisions of my life,” he says. “Academically, athletically and socially it was the best choice for me. And scholarships helped make it all possible.”

For information about the annual Zeckendorf dinner or to contribute to student scholarships contact Lisa Mulvey in the C.W. Post Development and Alumni Office at 516-299-2263 or lisa.mulvey@liu.edu.