The University of Michigan has announced a $40 million gift from the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation to endow the Kessler Presidential Scholars Program.

The program assists first-generation, limited-income students by providing wraparound academic, social, and career support including support staff, networking engagements with alumni and U-M leadership, a peer mentoring program, and workshops focused on a range of topics designed to promote students' sense of belonging at the institution. The program, housed in the U-M College of Literature, Science, and the Arts (LSA), selects forty incoming first-year students each academic year. In 2021, the Kessler Scholars graduating cohort attained a four-year graduation rate of 83 percent, higher than their first-generation U-M peers starting at the same point (75 percent), and virtually the same rate as their continuing-generation peers (84 percent).

Judy and Fred Wilpon are both LSA and U-M alumni ('58). The Kessler Scholars program was named in honor of Judy's parents, Irene and Morris B. Kessler, who immigrated from Europe and eventually settled in Michigan. In honor of the Wilpons' support of the program, the new addition to the LSA Building that opened in January 2020, will be named the Kessler Student Center.

"We have learned that just giving students a scholarship is not enough," said Fred Wilpon, former owner of the New York Mets and founder of the Wilpon Family Foundation. "As a first-generation college student myself and a graduate of U-M, I know the importance of having a close-knit community and a sense of belonging on campus. Through this gift and the resources offered in the program, we want students to feel secure, empowered, and engaged so they can excel and become the next generation of global leaders."

"Fred and Judy Wilpon are passionate advocates for first-generation students and we are thrilled and deeply moved to receive this gift," said Anne Curzan, dean of the College of Literature, Science, and the Arts. "Truly supporting first-generation student success goes beyond financial resources, and with this generous gift, we can ensure that they continue to receive community-driven support and mentoring to succeed at U-M and beyond."