On August 21, 1968, just three months after her graduation from MND, Marcia Ann Petronio ’68 died unexpectedly in a drowning accident. Marcia’s friends, especially Marcia’s life-long friends, never could forget their dear friend. Through her life Julie Mattei Hellebusch ’68 worked to raise seed money for a memorial scholarship in Marcia’s name. Julie wrote a small cookbook and sold them to family and friends to raise money. Finally, with the continual support of Marcia’s family and friends, there was ample money to begin Marcia’s scholarship as part of the Class of ’68 twenty-fifth reunion celebration in 1993.

The scholarship was established to provide funds for incoming MND freshmen who had financial need and a strong desire to attend Mount Notre Dame. Initially, representatives from the Class of ’68 choose the scholarship recipients after reviewing written essays. Later, after the MND endowment was established, all the funds in Marcia’s scholarship were transferred to the endowment to fund student scholarships. Marcia’s scholarship continues to be earmarked for incoming freshman with that keen desire to be part of the MND community.

On the occasion of the Class of 1968’s fiftieth reunion in 2018, $25,000 was pledged to Marcia’s scholarship as a matching gift. Another $25,000.68 was raised adding to the original gift to enhance MND’s endowment. Marcia’s family and friends continue to give generously to her scholarship in the hopes that many young women will benefit from Marcia’s untimely death.

Marcia was a wonderful young woman with the hope of making the world a better place through a vocation as a nurse, wife, and mother. Her dreams evaporated instantly, but her memory lives on. Marcia’s family and friends continue to be hopeful that her death was not an end but a beginning of serving the needs of many young MND women who benefit from Marcia’s scholarship.

The Class of 1968 is proud that Marcia’s scholarship was the first, or at least, one of the first to be established to support the financial needs of MND students. This scholarship is awarded to an incoming freshman with a deep desire to attend MND.