AOP/HEOP 50th Anniversary Celebration

The AOP/HEOP 50th Anniversary Celebration was held on Saturday, May 18 during ReUnion Weekend. Over 150 alumni, faculty, and staff came together and celebrated these remarkable programs' impact on Union. Union College and HEOP alumna, Diana Gazzolo '78, served as the keynote speaker for the event. This past fall Diana established the Richmond Fund, a scholarship she created to support AOP/HEOP students with their study abroad expenses.

In the year leading up to the 50th Anniversary Celebration, AOP experienced an amazing influx of support for our students. In an effort to ensure AOP students are on an equal playing field with their peers, several AOP Alumni—Diana Gazzolo '78, Rich Aguinaldo '89, and Eros Marshall '96—have made significant pledges to our program, with Diana launching the Richmond Fund, and Rich and Eros augmenting our ability to support students through the AOP Scholarship Fund. We hope this spirit of philanthropy spreads throughout our AOP alumni, and that we are able to increase the number of opportunities our students can pursue.