The Kroc School believes the greatest investments are the ones we make in people with the passion and the courage to create change. Peacebuilders and social innovators should not be stopped in their journeys to create better societies because they do not have access to strategic networks, education or training. At the Kroc School, we’re empowering the leaders of tomorrow through knowledge to lead change. Such an endeavor requires the support of numerous donors that fund our student scholarships and named scholarships.

Named scholarships are an opportunity for donors to honor the legacy of a loved one and help students fund their graduate education. Below are a few examples of current named scholarships, and why the donor chose to fund a named scholarship at the Kroc School.

Katherine Francola Peace Scholarship

The Katherine Francola Peace Scholarship is named for the donor’s mother – the daughter of immigrants from Italy. Education was a luxury her family couldn’t afford. She went to work after 8th grade in order to help put food on the table – but was determined to “make something better of herself.”

Katherine Francola and her family in Chicago, circa 1930

Katherine Francola went to school at night, learned secretarial skills, and eventually landed an office job, where she met co-workers who lived in middle-class suburbs. Embarrassed by her lack of education, she became a voracious reader and could easily carry on a conversation with college graduates.

Katherine Francola

Francola's daughter, Elizabeth Hansen, is a veteran travel journalist who believes training young peacebuilders, especially young women, is critically important. The Katherine Fancola Peace Scholarship was created to support young women who come from financially challenged families.

Gerry Bush Scholarship

As Michael Bush states, “my father is one of the few people I know who was professionally accomplished in government, business and academia.”

Gerry Bush was born in San Francisco but grew up as a boy in Garberville amidst the redwood trees. There, in Gaberville, Gerry attended a real one-room school. He went on to study at Santa Clara University and then to Claremont to obtain his Master's in Political Science. While at Claremont, he met his wife, Jean, while she was attending Pomona College. Post-Claremont, Gerry planned to pursue his Ph.D. at Berkeley; however, when President Kennedy was elected, he put that dream on hold. He moved his family to Washington, D.C. to work in the Federal government. 

Gerry Bush

Gerry worked with Sargent Shriver to start the Peace Corps and then on Hubert Humphrey’s campaign for President in 1968. During this time he also completed his Ph.D. thesis at Northern Illinois University. After Nixon beat Humphrey the family — now with 4 young boys — moved to Massachusetts. There, Gerry worked for a large management consulting firm, became involved in Massachusetts politics, and was the Director of Economic Development for the City of Boston.  

Gerry Bush also held positions such as the Director of the Gulf Management Institute, Chair of the National Head Injury Association (now the Brain Injury Association of America), and President of The Saybrook Institute. Later, he taught at Boston College and Brandeis University’s Heller School of Social Welfare (now the Heller School for Social Policy and Management). 

Sadly, Gerry passed away more than 20 years ago at age 63. Gerry was an exceptional man who reminded his sons how fortunate they’ve been with their advantages in education and life experiences.

“It is for this reason, Patricia and I decided that we would fund an annual scholarship in my father’s name at the University of San Diego’s Kroc School of Peace Studies. My father was a true man of peace and he viewed philanthropy as an obligation for those who were more fortunate.”

Make a Positive Impact for Students

Are you interested in supporting a Kroc School student's education? Set up a named scholarship by contacting Cristina Hernandez at cahernandez@sandiego.edu or (619) 260-4146. Named scholarships start at the $5,000 level.

There is also a great need to support the General Kroc Scholarship Fund. This fund helps to close the gap in financial needs for many students. No matter the size, every gift makes a big difference in the education of peacebuilders here at the Kroc School.