The University of Miami recently welcomed eight new Stamps Scholars from across the country for the 2015-2016 academic year. The Stamps Scholarships, which provide full cost of attendance plus extensive enrichment opportunities to outstanding academic achievers and talented students, are funded by the generosity of Penny and E. Roe Stamps, through the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation, and UM.
“Ensuring that academically deserving students from diverse backgrounds have access to a world-class education at the University of Miami is central to our mission,” said UM President Julio Frenk. “I am honored that the Stamps family has partnered with us to provide our Stamps Scholars with the brightest of academic futures.”
The Stamps Family Charitable Foundation partners with visionary colleges and universities, including UM, to award multi-year scholarships to select students from a wide array of disciplines. The Stamps Scholarships are UM’s most selective and prestigious scholarly awards, and this year’s recipients include three Stamps Leadership Scholars and five Frost School of Music Stamps Music Scholars.
“Penny and I could not be more proud of our partnership with the University of Miami,” noted E. Roe Stamps, who founded the Stamps Family Charitable Foundation along with his wife Penny. “For nine years we have witnessed outstanding students with big dreams become Stamps Scholars at UM and it is very gratifying to see this year’s recipients talk about the foundation for success they expect to build in college. We look forward to watching these scholars achieve great things in life and their profession, thanks to their UM education and experience.”
“The University of Miami is very grateful to Roe and Penny Stamps for their incredible generosity and commitment to higher education,” said Thomas J. LeBlanc, UM executive vice president and provost. “Stamps Scholarships attract some of the most exceptional students in the country and provide the support necessary for these outstanding students to realize their highest aspirations.”
The Stamps Leadership Scholarship is an elite academic award that provides driven and talented scholars opportunities for professional and leadership development in the fields of research, policy, technology, business, industry, government, health care, and education. Stamps Leadership Scholars are eligible to receive funding for study abroad, undergraduate research, internships, conferences, and leadership development opportunities.
This year’s incoming Stamps Leadership Scholars and their areas of interest are David Grossman, of Nashua, New Hampshire, philosophy and physics; Hailey Mody, of Duluth, Georgia, Spanish; and Joseph Shomar, Miami, Florida, mathematics.
“This scholarship provided me with a great opportunity to attend the school of my dreams,” said Mody. “I have learned that with hard work and determination anything is possible, and I’m excited to take those traits into my future as a Stamps Leadership Scholar.”
The talented young artists who make up the Stamps Music Ensembles benefit from a unique transformative academic and musical experience. In addition to performing with large ensembles of the Frost School of Music, Stamps Music Scholars also represent the Frost School when they perform at special functions throughout the community.
The incoming Frost School of Music Stamps Music Scholars are Alyssa Mena, Hialeah, Florida; Dominick Metro, Winter Park, Florida; Natalie Miller, Watauga, Texas; Marissa Takaki, Glenview, Illinois; and Antonio Urrutia, Miami, Florida. As instrumental performance majors, the freshmen scholars will make up the Stamps Woodwind Quintet. The Stamps Distinguished Ensembles also include the Stamps String Quartet, Stamps Brass Quintet, and Stamps Jazz Quintet.
“I am beyond grateful and lucky to be part of such an exciting and enriching music program,” said Takaki, who plays bassoon. “The opportunities granted to the Stamps Woodwind Quintet surpass anyone’s idea of a college experience. It is a privilege and an honor to be a part of the Stamps Chamber Music Program.”
Beginning in 2006 at their alma maters, the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Penny and E. Roe Stamps created merit scholarship programs for undergraduates. The Stamps Family Charitable Foundation expanded its reach with similar programs at the University of Miami in 2009, and in 2010 at Barry University, Caltech, University of Florida, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and UCLA. Since then, the list has grown to 43 academic institutions, including the University of Chicago, University of Notre Dame, University of Virginia, Wake Forest University and Washington University in St. Louis.
Penny and E. Roe Stamps served as campaign vice chairs for Momentum2: The Breakthrough Campaign for the University of Miami. Roe is a member of UM’s Board of Trustees and the Visiting Committee at the Frost School of Music, and also recently served on the Presidential Search Committee.
