It has been two years since the passing of the school’s biggest donor, Lorraine E. Marano. On Sept. 28 her Living Trust came back to the Oswego campus to dedicate a plaque in her honor.
Marano and her husband are widely known for their generosity to the school.

Their endowment of $7.5 million was the largest ever given in the college’s history and in honor of such a generous gift, the school named the campus center for her and her husband. In many ways, the Marano’s gift didn’t come as a surprise.

“Lorraine always felt that an education was very important,” said her trustee Theresa A. Sugar Scanlon in a statement. “Through her endowment to the college, she is continuing her legacy and carrying her beliefs into the future.”

The school is planning to use her endowment for student scholarships.

In the recent press release, Oswego State announced that they expect to be able to allocate $300,000 yearly towards student scholarships. The first recipients of these scholarships are expected to be picked by the end of the 2016-2017 academic year, so the scholarship can be used for the 2017-2018 year.

President Stanley, who attended the unveiling of the plaque with trustee Scalon, released a statement of her own regarding her gratitude towards the Maranos and the significance that they play in the school’s future.

“This college will forever remember the generosity of Lorraine E. Marano and her strong conviction in the power of education,” Stanley said from an article on the Oswego State website. “These scholarships will keep college within reach for many of our students, and in turn, those graduates will thrive through the knowledge and perspectives gained here that will inform their work, their communities and their personal lives. Lorraine will live on through the success and contributions that each student makes”

Education was a huge aspect in Marano’s life, even after graduating from Drexal University and what is now Rowan University. She continued to educate kids as a librarian and later on in life, as she chose to present the school with the endowment.

For many students, scholarships mean the difference between receiving a higher education or not. Students like Anna Steffan explained that these scholarships give her some assurance that she will be able to better her education, not only for herself, but for future generations to come, something Marano would likely agree with.

“We need to invest more in education and I’m happy that someone that has money like she does is willing to invest in our futures…because education is the future,” Steffen said.

Marano died Oct. 1, 2013. She is remembered by not only her close family and friends but by her Oswego State family as well, as her endowment continues to allow students to strive and futures to prosper.