For Lake Worth resident and FAU junior, Jaireen Ruiz, 20, college at one time felt like a distant dream rather than an attainable goal.
A native of Puerto Rico, and a first-generation college student, Ruiz applied to FAU “without hesitation” and received the Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholars Program designed for first-generation students.
“I applied for this scholarship because I did not want to be defined by missed opportunities,” says Ruiz, who is majoring in elementary education. “I am proud of taking the initiative and being courageous in my pursuit of higher education and success.”
The Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholars Program offers academically talented, first-generation, low-income high school seniors the opportunity to attend and graduate from FAU, debt-free.
Selected students receive four-year financial aid packages for tuition, on- campus housing, books, a meal plan, and additional resources needed to complete their college degree.
Each scholar follows “The Path,” a 17-step program which includes wraparound services supporting successful collegiate careers and post graduate lives, including career planning, mentoring, financial literacy resume writing, and life planning skills.
The program was developed by Boca Raton philanthropists Aubrey and Sally Strul in conjunction with FAU President John Kelly and first lady Carolyn Kelly.
“FAU prides itself on making higher education accessible to underserved and underrepresented communities,” says Kelly. “The Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholars program is helping to eliminate inequity and provide students with the tools to turn their dreams into reality — and ensure that everyone succeeds.”
Since 2017, the program has graduated two scholars and grown to
currently include nearly 50 scholars.
As a former first-generation student, Aubrey Strul, a 72-yr. old industrialist, now living in Boca Raton, felt compelled to lessen the financial burden of school debt for students by providing an initial investment of $1 million to launch the program.
The son of immigrants from Lithuania whose parents met and married in South Africa, Strul was born in Johannesburg and was the first in his family to attend college where he studied accounting, finance, and mathematics.
He came to the United States in 1977 and says, “I was a quick learner and studied a lot,” but admits he valued his social life as well and says it made him a more well-rounded student.
“I am a firm believer that developing social skills is an important aspect of an education,” Struhl says, and it was this philosophy he carried over to running his businesses.
“My most valuable asset was our people,” he says. “I fostered an incredible, inclusive work culture. My philosophy was ‘always inclusion, never exclusion.’ If you build a team that cares, your organization will be successful. People are the most important asset of any company.”
Strul was motivated to create the scholarship program to level the playing the field for first-generation students and to help them address potential barriers, including financial barriers, to their academic success.
“To flourish as a country, we must provide equal and fair access to all students in the U.S.,” he says. “I understand the uphill battle these students face to earn their education.”
“The first step was to ensure our students could graduate debt-free,” Strul says. “The mountain of debt many students must incur to attend college unfairly impacts their success for many years.”
In addition, the scholarship package includes on-campus housing for all four years, as a way of offering students the full college experience, which Strul believes is instrumental to students’ social development.
Strul has created a five-point plan for success for his scholarship recipients:
Always do the right thing, no matter how difficult; character is everything; always try and help others; set realistic goals, then focus and achieve them; and NEVER give up.
For Ruiz, once she graduates in 2022, she hopes to make a difference in the lives of her future elementary school students, as her mentors have made a difference in her life.
What would she tell other first-generation students?
“It’s simple,” she says: “Don’t allow your setbacks and circumstances to define you. See yourself for the unbridled potential you possess. It can be intimidating, but surround yourself with people who support you in your path – you do not have to navigate this experience alone.”
“Enjoy the journey of attending college: it is truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience,” she adds.
The application process for the Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholars Class of 2025 is now open.
For questions regarding the application, contact Keven Allen, Scholarship Director, at kallenjr@fau.edu. To learn more about the Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholars Program, visit kellystrulscholars.fau.edu.
For best consideration, applications should be submitted by Monday, February 1 but will be accepted through Monday, March 1.