UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Paul and Beverly Perreault, of Park City, Utah, have made a generous commitment of $1.08 million to establish the Perreault Fellows Program and Scholarship in Global Programs, which will provide international internship opportunities to talented undergraduate students interested in becoming global leaders in their fields. The couple has also designated a portion of their gift to name the director’s suite in Penn State’s new Student Veteran Center.
As a leader on Penn State’s Global Advisory Council, Paul Perreault saw a unique opportunity to provide transformative global leadership experiences for students.
"Heading a global company, I know firsthand the leadership, management and communication skills that will be required of future leaders," he said. "Beverly and I feel very fortunate to be able to make this gift that will provide meaningful international internship opportunities to Penn State students. Nothing compares to the experience of living and working abroad, and navigating the daily challenges that arise when learning to communicate effectively and build productive relationships with colleagues from many different countries. The skills required for success in the global workplace transcend beyond the classroom. We look forward to welcoming the first cohort of Perreault Fellows and watching them grow through this unique opportunity.
"Naming the director’s suite in the Student Veteran Center also holds a special personal meaning for us," he added. "Our son is currently serving in the Marines after participating in Officer Candidate School while attending Penn State and earning his degree in mechanical engineering, and our son-in-law is a Marine veteran. We are delighted that Penn State has this new dedicated space to support students who have devoted a portion of their lives to serving our country.”
The Office of Global Programs will administer the program and will recruit the first cohort of Perreault Fellows in 2019. Perreault Fellows will be recruited from the Eberly College of Science, Smeal College of Business, and the colleges of the Liberal Arts, Engineering, Agricultural Sciences, and Information Science and Technology. Perreault Fellows will participate in a variety of pre- and post-internship trainings including workshops on ethics, leadership, global issues as well as capstone global engagement and leadership presentations.
“Penn State is excited about the generous gift from Paul and Beverly Perreault to establish the Perreault Fellows Program,” said Brian Brubaker, director of Penn State Education Abroad. “The program will enable us to showcase interdisciplinary, experiential learning in a highly dynamic environment that includes personal and professional development couched in intentionality.”
“As more and more undergraduate students are keen to pursue internships abroad, the Perreault Fellows Program provides resources and a platform to draw students to the experience. It’s clear that Paul and Beverly saw a need amongst our offerings for a substantial internship abroad coupled with supplemental programming focused on cross-cultural communication, leadership, ethics, and professional networking. This program will allow some of our very best students to avail themselves of the opportunity when they may not otherwise be able to do so,” Brubaker said.
“Through the establishment of the Perreault Fellows Program and the naming of the director’s suite in the Student Veteran Center, the Perreault family will leave a lasting legacy that will positively impact Penn State students in perpetuity,” said Rob Crane, interim vice provost for Global Programs.
A portion of the Perreault’s gift that directly supports students qualifies for the First-Time Open Doors Endowed Scholarship Donor Matching Program, which is part of A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence.
This gift will advance "A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence," a focused campaign that seeks to elevate Penn State’s position as a leading public university in a world defined by rapid change and global connections. With the support of alumni, parents and friends, “A Greater Penn State” seeks to fulfill the three key imperatives of a 21st-century public university: keeping the doors to higher education open to hardworking students regardless of financial well-being; creating transformative experiences that go beyond the classroom; and impacting the world by fueling discovery, innovation and entrepreneurship. To learn more about “A Greater Penn State for 21st Century Excellence,” visit greaterpennstate.psu.edu.