High school students awarded Saunders scholarship

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E. Philip Saunders

Bryan Gascon, a senior at Livonia High School, and Jessica Coombs, a senior at Dansville High School, have been named recipients of the E. Philip Saunders Endowed Business Scholarship at Rochester Institute of Technology. Both students have been accepted at RIT’s Saunders College of Business where they will begin classes in the fall.

The scholarships have been raised to $25,000 per year and were established in 2006 by E. Philip Saunders to provide two four-year academic scholarships annually, one each to a graduate of Dansville High School and Livonia High School. The two new candidates, Gascon and Coombs, will be added to the roster of 17 Saunders scholars who have enrolled at RIT, nine of whom have graduated.

“We thank Mr. Saunders for his support and ongoing contributions to Saunders College and his personal vision in helping finance educations for two deserving students from the local area,” said Saunders College Dean Jacqueline Mozrall. “As an entrepreneur, he knows the hard work and drive it takes to achieve success and we’re thrilled that he is taking such an active role in helping these students achieve their goals.”

A serial entrepreneur and owner of Saunders Management Co., Saunders is a notable philanthropist and benefactor to the RIT college that bears his name. A lifelong resident of Livingston County, he said the scholarships are his way of giving back to the community.

“These are rural schools and a lot of people don’t have the same affordability to finance four years of college for their children to attend a great university like RIT,” said Saunders. “I attended high school there, so I understand where they are coming from. It’s nice to be able to help students—those who have great grades and all the qualifications—to purse an education they can only dream about.”