The Viola Family's Legacy
Greg Viola '71, Gregory Viola '93
Greg Viola '71, will always hold Bloomsburg University close to his heart. Their many family trips taken to BU over the years would eventually lead to both of their children, Gregory '93, and Gina '98, choosing Bloomsburg for their undergraduate degrees.
That's why, when Greg, a loyal donor since 1982, was approached with the idea of creating a scholarship through a planned gift in his will to the Bloomsburg University Foundation, he was intrigued by the idea.
"What many of my classmates don't realize is that when we went to school here, tuition was minimal at a state school," says Greg. "That funding from the state has decreased drastically over the years."
For Greg, a retired educator and technology consultant in Sarasota, Florida, this was the perfect opportunity to increase his support and create a legacy for his family at BU.
"We were in a position where we had the means to create the scholarship and it really didn't take a lot," Greg says. "It was actually pretty easy to spread it out and to grow it over the years."
And it wasn't long before the Violas would have the opportunity to grow their scholarship. A few months after it was established, Greg's son, Gregory learned about the gift and asked how he could contribute too.
Gregory, a retired US Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander and accountant/consultant who also met his wife, Stephanie '93 at BU is helping to grow the endowment of the scholarship by making an annual gift each year.
"As soon as I found out about the scholarship, I wanted to be a part of it," Gregory says. "Bloomsburg has always taken care of its students. I know it has done a lot for our family, so I'm glad we can help as a family to continue that tradition."
"Bloomsburg has played such an important role in our family and has given us so many memories," Greg added. "Including the university in our will and creating a scholarship for students who will come here in the future seemed like the best way for us to honor those memories."