MBA Class of 1989 Turns Reunion Momentum into New Scholarship Fund

What began as a reunion celebration quickly became something more lasting for members of the Georgetown McDonough MBA Class of 1989 – resulting in over $130,000 raised for a class memorial scholarship fund.

The MBA Class of 1989 Endowed MBA Scholarship Fund will support the advancement of current and future Full-time MBA students in the McDonough School of Business. 

“We are deeply grateful to the MBA Class of 1989 for their generosity and leadership,” said Sudipta Dasmohapatra, senior associate dean of the MBA programs. “Their collective effort demonstrates how alumni can come together to create meaningful, long-term impact for future Hoyas.”

A Class Effort

The idea for the scholarship originated at the Graduate Alumni Reunion, where classmate Jaime Vasquez (MBA’89) was honored with McDonough’s “Alumni Engagement Award” – a moment that sparked reflection on their shared experience and the values that shaped them.

“The people within our MBA Class of 1989 were excellent representatives of Georgetown’s Jesuit values – of being men and women for others,” said Vasquez. “Fast forward three decades, a lot of us have stayed in contact over the years, and then we reconnected in person at the reunion. When I was recognized, it triggered something emotional for the class.”

That moment of pride turned into a collective idea: to give back to the school that helped shape them, personally and professionally. Vasquez proposed creating a class scholarship fund, and classmates immediately rallied around the idea.

“We started saying, ‘We need to do something as a team for the school,’” said Vasquez. “A scholarship felt like the right way to give back to the program that prepared us for our careers.”

An exploratory committee quickly formed to shape the vision for the fund, including Melanie Blandon (MBA’89), Susie Coffman-King (MBA’89), Jane D’Angeli (MBA’89), and Annie So (MBA’89), with Vasquez helping to organize the effort. Together, they defined goals, developed a communications strategy, and began personally reaching out to classmates.

“We agreed to set up an exploratory committee to discuss what our objectives were and what we could accomplish together,” said Vasquez. “We had very productive calls, and everyone got really excited about starting a scholarship fund – and also about memorializing some of our classmates.”

The fund honors the memory of class members who have passed away over the years, including Mike Havard (MBA’89), Hermann Hardy (MBA’89), Mary Lyons (MBA’89), and Paul Sundmund (MBA’89), who embodied the Jesuit values that closely bind the class.

To establish the scholarship, the class set a fundraising target of $100,000. They surpassed that goal in less than a year.

Two classmates made early leadership gifts that helped energize the effort. “Right off the bat, in the first hour of talking about it, we already had $60,000,” said Vasquez. “That really got people excited.”

By the end of 2025, the fund had grown beyond its initial goal. “We were over $123,000,” Vasquez said. “And some gifts were still coming in.”

Rather than award the scholarship immediately, the class agreed to allow the fund to grow to ensure long-term impact. “We want it to compound and grow so it can support students in a meaningful way for years to come,” said Vasquez.

Supporting Hoyas Who Share Their Values

The class intends to provide scholarships to multiple MBA students each year, prioritizing those who demonstrate Georgetown’s Jesuit values and financial need.

“We want to give substantive amounts to more than one student each year,” said Vasquez. “Students who truly portray the Georgetown values and who need the help to fulfill their dream of getting a Georgetown MBA.”

For Vasquez, that mission reflects the character of his class. “We’re citizens of the world who want to do good and support others,” he said.

Reconnection to Georgetown

Vasquez’s own engagement with Georgetown was part of what made the scholarship possible. He reconnected with McDonough through Georgetown Entrepreneurship, where he shared his experience as an “intrapreneur,” someone who builds innovative ventures inside large organizations.

“That’s where I became a born-again Hoya,” said Vasquez. “I started speaking in classes about entrepreneurial initiatives within corporate America and how you can be entrepreneurial inside a big company and still build something meaningful.”

Building a Legacy

For Vasquez and his classmates, the scholarship represents more than financial aid. It is a way to honor classmates who are no longer with them, to strengthen ties among alumni, and to extend Georgetown’s mission to future generations.

“This was about helping Hoyas behind us,” said Vasquez. “With our help, students will be able to fulfill their dream of getting a Georgetown MBA and move on to do good in the world.”

As the fund continues to grow, the Class of 1989 hopes their example will inspire other alumni cohorts to find their own ways to give back together.

“We wouldn’t have broken our goal without the dedication of the committee and our classmates,” said Vasquez. “It really shows what can happen when a class comes together for something bigger than itself.”

To contribute to the fund, visit the giving page.