FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Ed Taylor, Director of Marketing & Communications 608-663-2333
Madison, Wis. (November 21, 2014) – A gift of $500,000 to honor a student from the Cutting Edge program at Edgewood College, eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match from a second, anonymous donor, results in a $1 million gift for a new residence hall on campus.
The gift honors AJ Zdeblick, a student in the first cohort of the unique college access program. His sudden passing more than five years ago was a blow to many at the College. His mother, Catherine Zdeblick made the gift to ensure that at least three Cutting Edge students will have the opportunity to live in the new residence hall, each year, in perpetuity.
“This feels right. It’s a way for us to recognize the important work being done at Edgewood College,” Zdeblick said. “This gift will support not only the Cutting Edge program, but all students who will benefit from the increased opportunity to live on campus in a beautiful new residence hall.”
The College launched a $3.4 million capital campaign in support of the new residence hall project earlier this year. The new hall, a $13 million project, will provide on-campus housing for more than 100 additional students. Groundbreaking for the new building is scheduled for May 2015. It’s expected that the new building will be ready for students for the Fall 2016 semester.
An anonymous donor has generously agreed to provide a dollar-for-dollar match for gifts to the capital campaign, up to a total of $1 million. Among the requirements for the match, the gift must be pledged before December 31, 2014.
About the Cutting Edge program
The Cutting Edge program was initiated in 2007. It is the only program in Wisconsin and one of only about 40 programs nationwide that offers a fully integrated higher education experience for adult learners with intellectual challenges and other developmental disabilities like Down syndrome, autism spectrum, traumatic brain injuries, and cerebral palsy. Using a structure of student-centered
individualized advising and peer mentorship with graduate and undergraduate students, Cutting Edge students are encouraged and assisted in their efforts to take courses, live independently on campus and in the community, take part in campus social events, clubs, interest groups and activities, and participate in community service, internship, and employment opportunities. The goal of the program is to offer students a full college experience that helps them develop the skills and self-determination necessary for post-school success.
About Edgewood College
Located in Madison, Wis., Edgewood College is a liberal arts Catholic college in the Dominican tradition. We serve approximately 3,000 undergraduate and graduate students at our Monroe Street and Deming Way campuses, and online. The College offers more than 40 academic and professional programs, including master’s degrees in business, education, and nursing, and doctoral degrees in educational leadership and nursing practice. For more information about Edgewood College, please visit www.edgewood.edu, or call Ed Taylor in Marketing & Communications at 608-663-2333.
