HWS News
26 October 2022 • Alums Making the Student Experience the Best it Can Be
Gifts from David Wilson P’24 and Lisa Lexa P’24 celebrate student experience, establishing newly endowed internship support and a fund for emerging needs.
In 2020, David Wilson P’24 and Lisa Lexa P’24 watched as their daughter Frances Wilson ’24 missed the final months of her senior year in high school and the celebrations it entailed. Prom, graduation, sports banquets — all canceled. They wondered with trepidation what Frances’ first year of college would look like.
“But at a time when many of her contemporaries and friends were taking classes remotely from their bedrooms at home, HWS gave our daughter a freshman year, in spite of the challenges of the pandemic,” explain Wilson and Lexa. “Each semester we’ve seen her develop and mature and learn. She’s becoming wiser, more worldly. It’s obviously the best experience she could possibly have.”
In appreciation for those opportunities, Wilson and Lexa have committed $250,000 to HWS to ensure students get the most out of their education. A portion of the gift establishes the Frances Wilson ’24 Endowed Internship Fund, which offers students the flexibility to cultivate firsthand career experiences without having to worry about whether they can afford it.
The gift also establishes the Lexa/Wilson Endowed Provost’s Discretionary Fund, which provides the funding and latitude for the Office of the Provost to direct funds toward emerging academic needs, from student resources to research and travel funding.
The final portion of the gift is directed to the Parents Annual Fund, which alongside the Annual Fund ensures the Colleges can respond with urgency to the needs of the campus community.
“It’s incredibly gratifying and encouraging to have the confidence of parents and families,” says Vice President for Advancement Bob O’Connor P’22, P’23. “As a parent, I know how it feels to see the impact that an HWS education has on a student. And I know equally well the impact that this gift from David and Lisa will have both on students and the institution itself. The Colleges are tremendously grateful.”
Wilson and Lexa have supported HWS each semester that Frances has been a student, and “each semester builds our appreciation and gratitude,” they say. “We wanted to do something that would enhance the student experience.”
Members of the Parents Executive Committee, they encourage other parents to get involved with the Colleges. “The experience has been very enriching,” they explain. “It’s an amazing chance to meet other parents and engage with the President and the Deans. If you’re invited, say yes.”
