Inside the Patrick P. Lee Foundation Scholarship

Feeling his success should be shared by giving back to students educated in their chosen field, ethics and the Jesuit tradition of service to others, Patrick P. Lee (PC ’59) established a scholarship at Saint Louis University that specifically eases financial burdens for Billikens from middle-income households.

Awarding up to $25,000 (based on need) to as many as 20 juniors and seniors studying engineering annually, the Patrick P. Lee Foundation Scholarship has a transformative impact, expanding access to a SLU education and creating new talent for the U.S. workforce. Watch the video or read the following transcript to hear from Lee and three current scholarship recipients. Learn more about this scholarship opportunity here.

Transcript

Patrick P. Lee: 
Education is the opportunity equalizer. And that's what we need to provide. That's what I want to provide. That's what our foundation wants to provide to the scholars of SLU.

Jeddrick Gamilla:
I chose to study engineering just because from a young age, I was very interested in how everything worked. 

Esha Pattan:
I’ve always loved the innovative aspect of it. Being creative, thinking outside the box.

Jillian Jackson:
Both my parents worked, so I had to do camps all summer, and they were mostly STEM camps. And so then I kind of did, like, some sciencey. Then I got into, like, robotics and rocketry, and I absolutely loved it.

Patrick P. Lee: 
Engineers, in my opinion, are the backbone of our economy. We need engineers to design new products. We need engineers to design the machines to make these products.

Jeddrick Gamilla:
With the Patrick P. Lee scholarship, it definitely has taken a lot of financial burden off of myself and my family. 

Jillian Jackson:
Just to be able to focus completely on my schooling and my extracurriculars and not have to worry about the financial aspect of things has really alleviated a lot of pressure.

Esha Pattan:
I really wanted to go to grad school and I was like, I currently have like zero funds to go to grad school. So all the money in my college fund that was going to be spent trying to pay for my undergrad can now help contribute toward my grad school.

Patrick P. Lee: 
Our whole aim is to try to help the middle class scholars. We want to graduate with as little or no debt. And so we're trying to provide a significant scholarship to ensure they get their education with the least amount of debt. And, and talking to them, I get these wonderful letters, I get birthday cards saying thank you, it's made all the difference in the world to me and to my family. And that is really what makes it all worthwhile for us.