Lori and David CowenPERSONAL PROFILE
With a bachelor's degree in accounting from Fairfield, and an MBA from the University of Arizona, Dave Cowen's early career in finance evolved from auditor and accountant to financial analyst and trader for 13 years at Donaldson, Lufkin & Jenrette. Currently, he is a financial analyst at U.S. Trust/Bank of America in New York City.

Dave doesn't define himself solely through his career, though. He is also an avid golfer, runner, and cyclist. Dave and his wife, Lori, live in Woodcliff Lake, N.J., where they enjoy gardening, going to movies and theatre, and traveling. Lori is a senior editor in the Professional & Careers Division of Pearson Education.

"Usually when we meet someone we're asked 'What do you do?' That's such a small part of who anyone is. So when I heard about the three questions students in Fairfield's Ignatian Residential College are asked to contemplate - Who am I? Whose am I? and Who am I called to be? - it really resonated with me. It's an approach to life that I can appreciate, and I hope the Fairfield students find it fulfilling at this stage in their lives."

MOST MEMORABLE CLASSES AT FAIRFIELD
Dr. Orin Grossman's class in American Music during his junior year. "The class turned me on to jazz and opened my ears and mind to all types of music. I also took a film class while at Fairfield, and it was one of the most difficult classes I ever had! I learned more about critical thinking and writing in that class than any before or since.

"The courses in your major prepare you for your career, but the beauty of a Fairfield education is that the diversity of the core curriculum exposes you to things that have a lasting impact on your life."

FIRST GIFT TO FAIRFIELD
$125 in 1986

LARGEST GIFT TO FAIRFIELD
$50,000 pledge over three years to the David and Lori Cowen Scholarship for Fairfield students with demonstrated need. The Cowens also have made a bequest intention augmenting this scholarship fund with a percentage of their estate.

ALSO SUPPORTS

  • University of Arizona
  • NJSGA Caddie Scholarship Fund
  • American Cancer Society

STATEMENT
"Education is extremely important to both Lori and me, and I always thought it would be great to set up a scholarship to help others pursue their ambitions. The feeling got stronger when I was in grad school, when I was fortunate to receive a full scholarship for my second year. We decided to pay forward that money we would have spent and to leave a bequest that will increase the impact of the scholarship in the future. We've seen the struggles our friends and family have faced to pay for their children's education. Without children of our own, we want to do what we can to relieve the financial burden for others."