By Georgia Jackson, College of Arts and Sciences
It wasn’t until Gabriella Merlo, a student in the College of Arts and Sciences and aspiring surgeon, was on her way to the Women in Leadership & Philanthropy (WLP) program’s annual fall symposium that she realized the true value of the scholarship she’d received.
“Everybody's so willing to say, ‘Do you want to sit down, have a cup of coffee and talk about your goals?’ and ‘I'll do anything I can to help you, whether it's volunteer opportunities or shadowing or just advice helping you with your application,’” Merlo said.
“There was a big, fancy lunch. People were winning awards,” said Merlo, who received the Women in Leadership & Philanthropy USF Sarasota-Manatee Scholarship. “I think that's kind of when the realization struck me ... How big this program is."
Big is right.
The Women in Leadership & Philanthropy program has invested thousands of dedicated mentoring hours and more than $4 million in grants, scholarships and programmatic funding to more than 700 scholars like Merlo, who received $1,000 to support her studies this year.
Since its founding in 2005, the program has made a difference in the lives of women at USF and in the surrounding community by giving scholarship recipients like Merlo access to mentoring, networking and engagement opportunities with the program’s more than 300 members.
“Scholarships are awarded to USF students based on merit, financial need and academic pursuit preferences set by our generous donors,” said Lauren Gstalder, executive director for the program. “The impact of these scholarships extends beyond financial assistance. Students become part of the program. They are offered opportunities to meet with members and community partners who serve as mentors, providing invaluable guidance on their current academic path and future professions.”
For Merlo, who will be the first in her family to pursue medical school, the opportunity to connect with other women who have experience applying to medical school and working in the field will be of immense value.
Gabi Merlot earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from USF in 2022.
“Everybody's so willing to say, ‘Do you want to sit down, have a cup of coffee and talk about your goals?’ and ‘I'll do anything I can to help you, whether it's volunteer opportunities or shadowing or just advice helping you with your application,’” Merlo said.
While she hasn’t met her mentor yet, Merlo did have an opportunity to connect with several other scholarship recipients on the way to the annual fall symposium.
“We carpooled, and we just instantly became friends,” said Merlo. “It was so neat to connect with people on a similar path.”
Merlo, who earned her bachelor’s degree in psychology in 2022 and is working on a second degree in biology, is also looking forward to the day she can return the favor.
“Once you’re in it, you’re in it for life,” Merlo said. “Usually the mentee becomes the mentor, so that's what I'll look forward to doing in the future.”
USF students interested in applying to the program can apply for scholarships annually from December through May.
The program’s success is the result of the collective generosity of members who lend their time, talent and treasure. Get involved today.