Moorestown's Rutgers Alumni Among NJ's Most Generous

Roger Licairac, of Moorestown, is one of those crazy people for whom one college major (or two) simply isn’t enough.

A triple-major in mathematics, statistics and economics—with plans to pursue a master’s in business science—Licairac’s goal is to become an actuary.

But if not for the generosity of Moorestown’s Rutgers alumni—along with countless other alumni across the state—he’d only be able to achieve one-third of his career goals.

Without generous financial awards and scholarships courtesy of the Rutgers University Foundation, Licairac said, “I would probably be pursuing 30 percent of my goal. I wouldn’t be able to prepare myself for (being an actuary) … I wouldn’t be fully satisfied because it wouldn’t be something I wanted to do.”

Licairac is one of many students who have received financial aid via the Foundation since its inception in the 1970s, according to Rutgers spokesman Brian O’Leary.

Rutgers has raised approximately $632,000,000 for the foundation over the last four decades. The funds go primarily toward student support (i.e. scholarships, etc.), as well as faculty support (endowments, research), campus and facilities and university programs, O’Leary said.

The university officially launched a capital campaign six years ago, with the goal of reaching $1 billion in donations by … sometime in the near future.

Rutgers alumni are a generous bunch, O’Leary said, so reaching the goal is simply a “when,” not an “if.”

“(Rutgers alumni) are very passionate about the university,” he said. “A lot them were on the scholarship when they attended, so giving back is very important to them.”

As part of the campaign, the university is featuring stories like Licairac’s from towns all over New Jersey, which is home to about 300,000 Rutgers alumni (out of about 400,000 worldwide).

Licairac was chosen in particular because Moorestown is considered one of the university’s top 20 towns in terms of alumni generosity and participation, according to O’Leary.

Moorestown has 1,127 Rutgers alums within its borders.

“We wanted to personalize (the campaign),” O’Leary explained. “New Jersey’s a very big place, but New Jersey’s also a very small place. Towns are very important in New Jersey. (People) very much identify with their towns.”

Licairac, who began attending Rutgers-Camden in 2009 and transferred to New Brunswick in 2010, said the financial aid allows him to cover his rent at school, as well as help his family back in Moorestown, so he can focus on his education.

“These scholarships have helped me break even versus not being able to pay the rent for my housing," he said. "Along with the work I do as a tutor, I can contribute to my family as well.”

To donate to the campaign, visit the Rutgers University Foundation website here.

To read more about Licairac, check out his story here.