Rosenberg ’86 Establishes Performing Arts Scholarship
The College is pleased to announce that screenwriter, producer, and alumna Melissa Rosenberg '86 has made a gift to establish an endowed scholarship in the performing arts.
The Melissa Rosenberg Performing Arts Scholarship will, in perpetuity, support a Bennington student as he or she pursues an education involving dance, theater, music, or film.
"My experience at Bennington was invaluable," said Rosenberg, who studied dance and drama as a student. "I'm thrilled to be giving another student the opportunity to grow and learn in this wonderful community."
Rosenberg, who delivered the College's commencement address last year, is best known for her screen adaptations of the bestselling Twilight novels. For her work as a writer and executive producer on the Showtime series Dexter, she won a Peabody Award and was nominated for three Emmy Awards and two Writers Guild Awards.
"We're thrilled and honored that Melissa and her husband Lev L. Spiro have made this generous gift to support Bennington students," said Barbara Ushkow Deane '51, chair of the College's Philanthropy Task Force and vice-chair of its Board of Trustees. "Melissa is the true product of a Bennington education, as evidenced by her pioneering work as a female screenwriter in Hollywood. Her ongoing support has been tremendous and for this latest act of philanthropy—the gift of a Bennington education—we can't thank her enough."
Rosenberg's gift builds on the recently launched Bennington Fund Scholarship Challenge, an initiative that aims to expand the scholarship funds provided to students through private philanthropy. Bennington allocates the largest portion of its budget each year to financial aid, currently supporting two-thirds of its students with grants or scholarships. Under the new challenge, thanks to the generous leadership support of the Trustees, all contributions to The Bennington Fund—no matter what the designation—will be matched with a gift for student scholarships.