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Business success has never been enough for Aubrey Strul.
From a young age, growing up in South Africa, he knew he wanted to change the world. Now, 30 years after immigrating to the United States, the entrepreneur is doing just that with the Kelly/Strul Emerging Scholars Program at Florida Atlantic University, a comprehensive program for qualified first-generation students.
"I met FAU President John Kelly and his wife, Carolyn, at a party three years ago," recalls Strul, who turns 70 this month. "In my conversations there, I started to see that there was a large amount of talent that was accepted into the university but just couldn't afford to go there."
The Boca Raton resident decided to change that. He worked with Kelly and FAU to design the program. Then, in 2017, he and his wife, Sally, gave $1 million to launch the program, followed by a commitment to provide an additional $50,000 grant each year.
"My mission is to provide these kids with a level playing field to build on," says Strul.
The first class, the class of 2017, consisted of four scholars; 2018 is expected to include 10; and Strul's ultimate aim is to have 80.
The program covers the cost of tuition and board as well as a wide range of ancillary support services, ranging from orientation to career planning. The goal is to leave students debt-free when they graduate.
Strul is convinced that, by providing low-income, first-generation undergraduate students with this support, the program will help Florida families emerge from economic hardship. He, himself, was the first in his family to go to college.
Both Strul and Kelly are pleased with the program's progress so far.
Kelly says: "For so many people, college is not an option. They don't have the financial or family support."
But perhaps the best proof of success is the progress of the first-year students, such as Isabel Hidalgo, a history major from Cooper City. She enrolled at FAU hoping to one day work at the Library of Congress. Now, her goals have broadened to include the study of art history and the possibility of museum work.
"The financial side is amazing, she says about the program. But the other resources are as well. They are enabling me to do much more than I could have by myself." O