News

October 16, 2023

Roberts Receives Gift from Konor Foundation for Healthy Steps to Success Scholarships

4 student sit around a circular table outside and do schoolwork.

A recent gift from the William & Sheila Konar Foundation will support student scholarships. Through the generosity of this foundation, qualified students will not only benefit from these financial opportunities but also be equipped for a vocation through a Roberts education. 

The William & Sheila Konar Foundation gave a gift of $15,000 in August 2023, supporting Healthy Steps to Success Scholarships at Roberts Wesleyan University. The purpose of our Healthy Steps to Student Success program is to improve the mental health and well-being of an estimated 60-80 students. 

“Roberts is grateful to receive this gift to support student scholarships,” Kirk Kettinger, Roberts Wesleyan University senior director of grants and foundations, said. “The Konor Foundation gift contributes to students' well-being, increased student retention rates, and the self-reporting of students indicating that Healthy Steps to Success program activities made a positive contribution to their well-being.” 

Support from the Konar Foundation will allow us to serve more students with financial challenges and make direct linkages to mental health supports on campus and resources to assist with preventative care or more advanced needs.

About the William & Sheila Konar Foundation:

The William & Sheila Konar Foundation is a private grant-making entity founded in 1982. Guided by the philanthropic goals and priorities of its founders, the Foundation supports programs, institutions, and organizations in Rochester, New York, and elsewhere. The driving force behind its giving is William and Sheila Konar’s commitment to opportunity, and their desire to help others in their community grow and prosper.

Our philanthropic efforts reflect a “conscious philanthropy” – a desire to see giving provide measurable benefits to the community. We believe that philanthropic giving is a critical tool in supporting the collective capacity of a community to improve the quality of life for all of its citizens.