Mechanicsburg Couple Supports Bloomsburg University With $1 Million Gift

BLOOMSBURG - Michael and Beth Boguski of Mechanicsburg have committed $1 million to the Bloomsburg University Foundation to support university initiatives including Professional U, the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) Magnet School and the Henry Carver Fund, Bloomsburg University's annual fund. Michael is a 1985 Bloomsburg graduate.

"Bloomsburg University is a very special place," said Boguski, president of Eastern Alliance Insurance Group and a member of the BU Foundation Board of Directors. "I had a great college experience and received an outstanding and affordable education. Beth and I are extremely pleased to support the university with this financial commitment."

Through this gift, the couple established the first Professional U Endowed Capstone Experience Scholarship, which will support internships, travel abroad and research projects for students each year.

"Experiential learning opportunities are an important part of the student experience," said BU President David Soltz. "Often students are offered these opportunities, but cannot take advantage of them due to the cost. Through this gift, Mike and Beth have made it possible for Bloomsburg students to gain the real-world experience that gives them a competitive advantage."

According to Erik Evans, vice president for university advancement, Michael used a sophisticated giving strategy that maximized the overall impact of the gift by including an estate component and support from Eastern Alliance Insurance Group through its Earned Income Tax Credit program. The gift will benefit students by supporting initiatives outlined in the university's strategic plan.

"Professional development, experiential learning, research, scholarships - these areas are important to Mike and Beth and are high priorities for the university," said Evans. "By giving to areas that are meaningful to them and strategic to the university, Mike and Beth's gift has even more impact."

Boguski, a first-generation college student and a member of the Zeta Psi fraternity, graduated with a bachelor's degree in business administration. "My parents and grandparents did not have the opportunity to attend college, so I was blessed and very fortunate to attend Bloomsburg. Even today, nearly 40 percent of the students are first generation, like me. We see an important mission in supporting these students.

"Internships help students gain practical experience critical to launching their careers," Boguski added. "Funding the endowed capstone experience will enable students to take advantage of internships with their expenses paid."

The gift also reaffirms the Boguskis' support for the Henry Carver Fund and, through Michael's company, support for the STEM Magnet School, a two-year science, technology, engineering and math immersion program for local high school students. In this way, the impact of the couple's gift will be seen across the university for years to come.

Mike and Beth Boguski, a 1986 graduate of Penn State University, are the parents of two sons, Michael and Casey. Michael, a 2014 graduate of Trinity High School, was signed as a freshmen football recruit to play quarterback for Bryant University in Rhode Island. He enters this fall as a business/marketing major. Casey will enter his sophomore year at Trinity High School this fall and plays both football and basketball for the Shamrocks.