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Arizona Loyal Spotlight: Olivia C. '68 and Vince Ciampa '68

What made you want to attend the University of Arizona? 

Olivia: The unversity offered me a support system to help me succeed. I had a very good local network to help me meet the challenges of being a first-generation college student. It gave me the opportunity to be the first woman in my family to attend a university.

Vince: Although I was accepted by USC, Santa Clara and the University of San Francisco, I decided to stay home and attend the The University of Arizona. It had an excellent reputation for engineering and business management and was one of the early universities to offer an MBA program. In addition, I didn’t want to leave my family and all my friends.

What is your best University of Arizona memory? 

Vince: Our best memories were our involvement with student activities. Olivia was involved with the university yearbook as the Design Editor. For me, it was my involvement in student government and the Bobcats Senior Honorary. Another great memory was the pinning ceremony and being thrown into the Old Main Fountain! 

Could you talk a bit about your reason for giving and your scholarship – the Ciampa, Olivia and Vincent Family Trust Scholarship?

Vince and Olivia: Our intent was to establish funds that would provide scholarships for students at The University of Arizona who demonstrated academic merit and financial need. Based on our personal experiences, we recognized a need and hope that we could make a difference in someone’s life. Our hope is that we will continue to be blessed with the ability to expand the scholarship to multiple students and to encourage others to join us.