“A Profound Impact on Young People”

Tom Ferguson ’74CC has seen first-hand the transformative effect a Columbia education can have on young people.

The oldest of seven children, Tom grew up in Seattle, Washington. Attracted by its reputation for excellence, its New York City location, and its Core Curriculum, he crossed the country to attend Columbia College. 

A generous financial aid package made it possible. The cost of a Columbia education, he said, was “well beyond my family’s means.”

Tom held part-time jobs through all four years of college. During his senior year, he was hired as an interviewer by the Columbia College Admissions Office, which gave him a chance to meet applicants and staff. 

When he graduated, he was offered a position as an admissions officer and member of the Admissions Committee. After that, he spent two years as a regional affairs officer in the Columbia College Alumni Office. In both positions, he served as the academic advisor to 15 first- and second-year students annually.

“Meeting high school seniors and their families from all walks of life and regions of the country, and then seeing CC alumni pursuing careers around the country was my second Columbia education,” he said. “It allowed me to see the profound impact attending a leading university in New York City could have on young people. My academic advisor experience in particular showed me up close what a Columbia scholarship could mean, especially to students of very modest financial means and their families.”

After leaving Columbia, Tom spent two years studying English literature and another two years at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, where he received an MBA. He went on to a career in commercial banking and finance. He lives in Piedmont, near San Francisco.

All along, Tom maintained his connections to Columbia. He served as chair of the Bay Area Alumni Representative Committee and as a regional director of the Columbia College Alumni Association. This year, he is the 1754 Society ambassador for his 50th Reunion.

The impact of a Columbia education was further driven home when his children, Greg ’03CC and Elizabeth ’07CC, chose to attend themselves. Their experiences and his own inspired Tom and his wife, Cherielyn, to make a legacy gift.

“We are equally interested in establishing a scholarship fund that will help students of modest means enjoy the unique experience of attending college in New York City and the lifelong benefits of a Columbia education,” he explained.

Tom and Cherielyn have designated Columbia College as the beneficiary of three retirement accounts. Their gift will be used to establish the Ferguson Family Scholarship Fund for undergraduate students.

“We want to pass on the experience from which my children and I benefitted,” Tom said. “We’re honored to contribute in a way that commemorates our family’s shared experience and provides needed financial aid for Ferguson Family Scholars forever.”