The new scholarship initiative, Gallianetti Scholars Initiative, was established to financially support students who work for non-profit organizations through student-run business, Launch.  

Launch is a student-run business in Lakeland that offers and manages on/off-campus jobs and internships for students. Some students got their job at nonprofit organizations outside the campus through Launch. Gallianetti Scholars Initiative will function as a supplement of money for those nonprofit organizations which have difficulties to pay for students.  

Beth Borgen, an executive vice president of Lakeland and the new president beginning Spring 2021, explained the role of “Gallianetti Scholars Initiative.”  

“Launch has a nonprofit division where nonprofit organizations can apply to have students come work for them and work on some projects for them. But they might not be able to afford to pay the students. So rather than expecting the students to volunteer, the scholarship will pay for them to work for a nonprofit,” Borgen said. 

“We certainly appreciate all the students who are willing to do good work in the area’s nonprofit organizations. We hope the scholarship program incentivizes them to continue to work at nonprofit.” 

This new scholarship initiative has the name of David Gallianetti who is director of external relations at Lakeland. Borgen explained that this scholarship initiative is established to honor the 20-year anniversary of his service at Lakeland.  

“He is so dedicated to the community and our students. We created and named the Gallianetti Scholars Program, which really will help us to pay our students to do work in the nonprofit company,” Borgen mentioned.   

After Gallianetti knew that a new scholarship initiative was established in his name, he donated $10,000 for the initiative.  

“When I found out that this initiative is going to directly benefit students by calling them for their money to do work, it just seemed like a natural fit. In terms of donating money, that’s going to help students correctly,” Gallianetti stated.  

He elaborated on the reason for donating that, “Students at Lakeland mean a lot to me. It has been great to get to know them, to watch them grow, and then to watch them graduate and go out and get great jobs, marriages, and families. I’ve stayed in touch with a lot of students from over the years. In my 20 years of working here, we’ve remained very close to a lot of them.”  

“None of us would be here if the students weren’t. It wouldn’t be Lakeland University. It takes a lot of people to keep this place going, but the students are at the heart of what we do. We are here to serve the students and it is great. I really love it,” Gallianetti expressed.  

Gallianetti Scholars Initiative will start the operation and provide financial support for students through Launch in the Spring 2021 semester. For more information about hiring opportunities, visit Launch’s page at Lakeland’s website (lakeland.edu/student-run-businesses).