Alexis Rapoza
News Editor
PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The late Virginia and Anthony Broccoli have established an endowment at Rhode Island College to help rising seniors. The Virginia A. and Anthony Broccoli Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to students who are unable to complete their four-year degree due to financial hold. The scholarship will be awarded up to $5,000 for the fall and spring semesters of the student’s senior year.
The scholarship will be administered through the RIC Foundation, which was established in 1965. According to the foundation’s mission statement, the RIC Foundation “is a separate entity that is devoted to raising funds solely for Rhode Island College. The foundation also exercises fiduciary responsibility over endowments and other philanthropic investments made to Rhode Island College.”
Virginia Broccoli was a secretary for the RIC Music Department for over 25 years and Anthony Broccoli was the co-owner of the Delaine Collision Center. Friend and financial advisor of the couple, Andrew Beaudry said that Mr. Broccoli would act as a mentor to young men who came into his repair shop and would occasionally visit his wife at the college. “The students were everything to them,” Beaudry says.
The Broccolis had a shared commitment to mentorship and believed in the importance of education. “She met so many wonderful young people there [RIC],” Virginia’s niece, Eleanor Balassone said. “She enjoyed listening to their stories and hearing about how they were progressing in their studies. Even after she retired, she kept in touch with a few of them through letters, holiday cards and birthdays.”
“Rhode Island College is both grateful for and honored by this generous endowment,” RIC President Frank Sanchez said. “It is a testament to Virginia and Anthony Broccoli’s deep character and commitment to bettering the lives of future generations. It’s also a testament to the value they see in Rhode Island College students, many of whom will be able to receive their diplomas because of their generosity. This will have a significant and lasting impact on our students for years to come.”