2019 Scholarship Dinner Una Serata d’ Amore
Nearly 300 friends of Ave Maria University gathered in the Ritz-Carlton Beach Resort on Valentine’s Day in a loving celebration for a worthy cause: scholarships for AMU students.
a v e m a r i a m a g a z i n e | s p r i n g 2019
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he 8th Annual Scholarship Dinner featured renowned political strategist and former White House Senior Advisor Karl Rove as the keynote speaker. Mr. Rove, whom President George W. Bush once described as the “architect” of his re-election campaign, recounted memories from his time at the White House and provided a historical perspective to the gridlock and acrimony in Washington. He stressed that despite the many challenges America’s democracy faces today with the polarization of the political parties, the country faced even greater polarization over a century ago and
emerged triumphant. Rove praised Ave Maria University and commended it for its faith, values, and affordability. “When I went off to college, my family suffered some serious reverses, and in the middle of my first semester at college I was told I was on my own,” he said. “The only way I got to go to college was on a $1,500/year scholarship and a couple of jobs…at one point, I was reduced to living for the better part of four months in an unused storage closet. But, I got to go to school because somebody cared enough to create a scholarship fund, and I got one of them.” Rove concluded, “What you’re doing
tonight to provide the opportunity for people to come to this fantastic University, and get an education steeped in religion, and faith, and theology, and service, is really incredible, and I want to thank you for doing it.” Rove wasn’t the only one at the podium to delight the audience. Later in the program Ave seniors Corinne Zay and Phil Rhein reflected on their years at Ave and spoke about how they had grown together in faith, knowledge, and love. They also expressed their gratitude for Ave’s donors who provided them with some of the financial support necessary to attend Ave Maria University. The couple surprised
