Barbara LeBlanc

Award Includes Internship, Possible Job After Graduation

Freshman Anthony Galluzzo, of Londonderry, N.H., has been named the first recipient of the Heritage Property Investment Trust Inc. Scholarship, the most comprehensive award in the history of Saint Anselm College.

The Heritage scholarship includes not only full, four-year tuition, but also a stipend for room, board, fees, books and supplies. Galluzzo will receive a paid summer internship at Heritage and, upon graduation, the opportunity for a permanent job with the company.

“I was psyched and my parents were thrilled,” Galluzzo said. “Money is a big issue when you’re planning for college, and I’m the oldest of seven.”

Thomas C. Prendergast ‘72, chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Heritage Property Investment Trust, helped establish the scholarship for a student of academic excellence who wants to attend Saint Anselm, but is unable to afford it. Boston based Heritage Property is one of the largest owners and operators of neighborhood and community shopping centers in the United States.

“The values that I formed at Saint Anselm are the values that inspire our corporate culture today,” says Prendergast. “At Heritage, we are committed to creating opportunity, rewarding talent, and giving back to our community. This scholarship is a natural expression of our principles.”

Galluzzo was an honors student at Londonderry High School, ranking 12th in his graduating class of 400. He was captain of the soccer team and earned varsity letters in indoor and outdoor track.

He annually joins the Pan-Mass Challenge, a two-day, 192-mile bike ride for the Jimmy Fund, in order to give back to those who helped his father become a two-time cancer survivor.

“I hope the money I raise can help cure and even prevent future cases of cancer,” he says.

Galluzzo has not declared a major, but says he has done particularly well in math. He intends to play soccer and take part in community service while he studies.

“I have full confidence in Anthony’s ability to make the most of a Saint Anselm education,” says Fr. Jonathan DeFelice, O.S.B., president of the college. “Through his accomplishments in the classroom and in the community, he has demonstrated a commitment to the college’s values of academic excellence, civic responsibility and service to others.”

“We also thank Tom Prendergast and Heritage for making a financial commitment to Saint Anselm students and for taking a personal stake in their future success,” he says. “Tom’s rise to success from working class kid to influential businessman is powerful and inspiring, but his personal mission to help educate and empower the next generation is even more impressive.”