$1M Gift Endows Scholarship at Fisher

A $1 million gift from the C. Anthony and Michele Davidson Foundation will endow a scholarship at St. John Fisher College providing financial assistance to a new generation of Fisher undergraduates.

Thanks to the family foundation of Fisher alumnus and former member of the Board of Trustees C. Anthony (John) Davidson ’76; his wife, Michele; and their children, Heather Amalaha and Brendon Davidson, this gift continues the family’s inspiring philanthropic support of the College.

Davidson is a retired executive of Tyco, where he was responsible for overseeing the financial reporting, internal controls, and accounting policy, and for leading controllership function and activities across the company’s global business operation.  Prior to joining Tyco, he was vice president of audit, risk, and compliance for Dell Inc., where he worked for seven years.  Earlier in his career, Davidson spent 16 years with Eastman Kodak.  He is a certified public accountant and earned an MBA from the University of Rochester. Davidson, who came to Rochester from Jamaica as a teenager, often credits scholarships as crucial to making his goal of attending college possible.

“Fisher has meant a lot to me. My education has served me well, and as I look back at my life and career, the education I received at Fisher has been a tremendous asset for me,” he said.

That experience has led the family foundation to commit to providing support to African American and/or Latinx students who are graduates of a Rochester-area high school. In 2014, it established the Davidson Education Opportunity Bridge Scholarship Fund at Fisher, supporting four students each year. This new commitment will endow the scholarship, ensuring its longevity, expanding its impact, and affirming Fisher’s deep promise to equity and access.

“Endowed scholarships, such as the Davidson Education Opportunity Bridge Scholarship Fund, allow us to invest in both current and future Fisher students,” said Dr. Gerard J. Rooney, president of the College. “We are most grateful to the Davidson family for their continuing transformational support of, and commitment to, making a Fisher education accessible to a greater number of students from the Rochester area. The impact of this scholarship will be immeasurable as it makes the dream of a college education possible for the students selected to receive it. ”

Recipients of the scholarship will receive $20,000 each year—$10,000 from the Davidson Scholarship and $10,000 from the College. Davidson Scholars have their full financial need met through a combination of the scholarship, and institutional, federal, and state financial aid programs. The scholarship is renewable for four years.

In addition to tuition assistance, Davidson Scholars receive individualized mentorship from a Fisher faculty or staff member. Davidson Scholars are also eligible for up to $4,000 towards an experience-based learning opportunity during their undergraduate career, including study abroad, research, internships, and more.