It's all in the family with Legacy Scholarships

If the traditions at Arizona State University are the bridge that connects the past to the present, then student relatives of ASU alumni are the shining stars that highlight the importance of continuity.

Each year, thanks to the generosity of donors, the ASU Alumni Association awards Legacy Scholarships to outstanding students who are continuing the family tradition of pursuing a Sun Devil education.

This year, 39 students — among them second-, third- and fourth-generation Sun Devils — were honored on Monday, Aug. 15, at the annual ASU Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship Breakfast.

In their applications, the scholarship recipients cited their passion for all things maroon and gold and their eagerness to follow in the footsteps of multiple relatives who have shared fond Sun Devil memories with them. They wrote eloquently of the importance of carrying on the family tradition. 

“When the ASU Alumni Association began awarding Legacy Scholarships 12 years ago, three students were selected as recipients,” said Christine Wilkinson, president and CEO of the ASU Alumni Association. “Today, the Alumni Association is awarding Legacy Scholarships to 39 undergraduate students and will continue to award more scholarships each year thanks to the generosity of donors.”

Among this year’s honorees were three recipients who received, for the first time, the Alissa Serignese Legacy Scholarship, endowed after Serignese’s passing in January. Serignese, former vice president of the ASU Alumni Association, worked passionately to champion ASU pride, spirit and traditions for future generations of Sun Devils. 

Her ASU legacy journey began with her father, who played football for ASU’s legendary head coach Frank Kush. Her two sisters graduated from ASU, and now her daughter is following in the family’s footsteps and pursuing her academic dreams as a sophomore at ASU.

“Alissa served as vice president of the Alumni Association and had been in various roles with the organization for more than 13 years,” said Wilkinson. “As a passionate Sun Devil, Alissa embodied the university’s charter in so many ways, reflecting inclusiveness, serving her community and championing excellence.” 

Serignese’s sisters, parents and daughter came to the stage Monday in a poignant presentation of scholarships to the three recipients: Cameron Hill and Elena Titus, both first-year students in The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences; and Samuel Arenson, a first-year student in the W. P. Carey School of Business.

Taylor Brewer is this year’s Clare Morris Legacy Scholarship recipient, which is named in honor of one of the first recipients. 

Morgan Harrison, vice president of the ASU Alumni Association, told the assembled generations of Sun Devils that the association supports them not only through their educational careers, but also in the years afterward. 

“The association has programs, events and opportunities for alumni of all ages and stages,” Harrison said, noting scholarships, the Student Alumni Association, worldwide alumni chapters and a great many other programs and activities for alumni and future Sun Devil generations. 

The ASU Alumni Association congratulates the 2022 class of Legacy Scholarship honorees. If you would like to take part in the tradition of giving, visit the following pages to donate: 

• ASU Alumni Association Legacy Scholarship.
• Alissa Serignese Legacy Scholarship.
• Clare Morris Legacy Scholarship.