A Living Legacy
The extraordinary devotion of two parents is the inspiration for the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation’s landmark investment in financial aid.
Joe Del Guercio ’94 (right) and his brother, Carmen (left)
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Mingling with guests in Stokes Hall at a Spring 2024 celebration of the Carmine and Maria Del Guercio Scholarship, Joe Del Guercio ’94 excitedly introduced his older brother, Carmen. “He’s CEO of the Maryland Food Bank!” Joe radiates with admiration when he talks about his family. He’s proud of his brother’s accomplishments—but most of all, he’s proud of his parents.
Joe Del Guercio is president and chief executive officer of the A. James & Alice B. Clark Foundation, which has made a $10 million investment to establish a new endowed scholarship at Boston College. Named in honor of Joe’s late parents, Carmine and Maria, the scholarship will support a cohort of 12 first-generation undergraduate students with high financial need studying in the Carroll School of Management.
Joe is himself a first-generation graduate of the Carroll School. His parents, both immigrants from Italy, never received beyond a first-grade education.
Maria (left) and Carmine Del Guercio (right)
“They came here the same way a lot of other people did,” Joe reflected, “[for the] American dream—a better life.” They settled in Westfield, Massachusetts, where Carmine worked as a carpenter and Maria worked in an envelope factory. “They did everything in their power to save every penny and every dime so that I could get the best education,” says Joe. When Joe was accepted to BC he didn’t receive a scholarship. “I got into other schools with lots of financial aid, and [my parents] said, ‘We don’t want you to make your decision based on money. We want you to go where you’re going to be the happiest and most successful.’ That, to me, was BC.” Joe’s parents continued to save, and he graduated without student debt. “In many ways, I got a scholarship from them,” he says. Joe attributes his achievements to the parents who gave him so much—and now, he’s in the business of giving back.
Since graduating from the Carroll School, Joe has led a successful career, including as president and chief executive officer of Clark Enterprises and at the Clark Foundation. Joe describes founder A. James Clark’s approach as “[looking] at this philanthropy as investing” in the future.
“[Mr. Clark] always felt very strongly about supporting the people that worked for him. He would have felt strongly, and the board felt strongly, that when the time was right, supporting something that was important to me … would be something they really wanted to do,” Joe says. The Foundation “really is all about education,” he continued, “and putting a scholarship program together at Boston College for first-generation students [… is] consistent with everything we’ve done.” The Foundation’s signature engineering education program, the Clark Scholars Program, provides scholarships at 11 other prestigious colleges and universities, including Duke University, Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and the University of Pennsylvania, among others.
During his remarks at the Del Guercio Scholarship celebration, Joe expressed his appreciation for the Clark family and Foundation. “I am especially grateful to the Clark Foundation Board, Courtney Clark Pastrick, Bob Flanagan, and the late Larry Nussdorf for their mentorship since I joined the Clark family nearly 20 years ago, and for their generosity and commitment to making this investment.”
University President William P. Leahy, S.J., expressed a similar sentiment during his remarks at the event when he described the scholarship as part of the “living legacy” of the Clark Foundation and Del Guercio family. “Future generations are going to be able to attend Boston College because we’ve been able to provide financial aid … and they in turn will do things like the Clark family and the Del Guercio family.”
For Joe, the event was a joyous culmination: “I knew at some point the sacrifices, dreams, and prayers of my parents, the support of my friends and family, and the generosity and values of Mr. Clark and the Clark Foundation would come together. And today is that day; I could not be more happy and grateful.”
In August 2024, the first cohort of Del Guercio Scholars arrived at the Heights. Thanks to the generosity of the Clark Foundation, Nathan Ayalew, Bryce Trumbull, and Marissa Garnica are now part of the Del Guercio family’s inspiring legacy. All members of the Class of 2028, these students will remain Del Guercio Scholars for their four years at BC, with three new students joining them from each incoming class.
Nathan, a first-generation student from Washington, DC, was inspired to pursue business by following in his father’s footsteps and plans to concentrate in finance. In his Portico class—a business ethics course required for all first-year students in the Carroll School—Nathan appreciates the way his professor, Rachel Spooner, facilitates open class discussions. Portico is just one example of what Joe calls the “balanced, broad-based education” that drew him to the Carroll School. Elsewhere on campus, Nathan participates in the Investment Banking Association and plans to get involved in other student organizations related to the business world, such as the Real Estate Club. Nathan is pleased to join his sister, a sophomore, at the Heights, and is enjoying making new connections.
A first-generation student and Massachusetts native, Bryce is another aspiring finance concentrator. The friendly, helpful community spirit at Boston College was a major deciding factor when Bryce chose to submit his Early Decision application, and he’s still feeling it today, bonding with classmates and others in his residence hall. In the classroom, his theology course is a particularly impactful part of his first-year curriculum, sparking him to think about the subject in a new way. Bryce is also eager to give back, having joined the University’s chapter of charity: water. In addition to embracing BC’s motto of “Eagles for others,” he also embodies Joe’s idea of philanthropy being “rewarded a hundred times over” when one person who benefits from another’s generosity decides to return the favor.
Marissa, coming to Boston College from New Jersey, is a first-generation student originally from Peru. Echoing Joe’s own appreciation for and commitment to his family, she speaks highly of her mother, who has worked tirelessly for Marissa and her siblings: “I’ve been given so many opportunities in my life that I’m so grateful for.” As a first-year, Marissa is eagerly exploring all of the options that BC has to offer, but is considering pursuing business law. Beyond the Carroll School, she enjoys learning about a breadth of topics—her Engaging Catholicism course offers a fresh perspective that differs from her experience at a Catholic high school. On campus, she is involved with the Organization of Latin American Affairs and is interested in the Jenks Leadership Program, which prepares undergraduate students to take on leadership roles in service to society.
Nathan, Bryce, and Marissa met with Joe on campus earlier in the fall semester. Struck by Joe’s story and his dedication to giving back, Marissa felt she was “seeing that all the hard work does pay off … I’m on the right path; it’s going to work out for me.” Joe reflected that it was “one of the highlights of [his] career so far” to get to know the scholars and is “really excited” to see where their passions take them. “You can tell they’re going to make a big difference in their lives, their families, their communities.”