An investment in students
The Silversteins continue their commitment to Denison
A new $8 million gift from Jonathan Silverstein ’89 and his wife, Natalie, will help more students access the life-changing opportunities that define a Denison education.
A portion of their gift expands the Silverstein Scholars program, providing need- and merit-based assistance to talented Denison students, regardless of their financial circumstances. The Silversteins established the endowed scholarship fund in 2021 and have continued to invest in helping students make the most of their Denison experience.
“Supporting Denison students is an investment in the people who will carry Denison’s values into the world and multiply its influence in ways we can’t yet imagine,” said Jonathan Silverstein.
The impact of the Silversteins’ generosity is far-reaching, helping students fully participate in campus life, pursue internships and research opportunities, study abroad, and prepare for successful careers after graduation. By reducing financial barriers, the fund gives students the freedom to take full advantage of everything Denison has to offer.
“This gift is a powerful statement about who we are and what we value,” said Denison President Adam Weinberg. “Natalie and Jonathan Silverstein believe deeply in the power of a Denison education to change lives. Their generosity will open doors for students who otherwise would not have that life-shaping opportunity.”
This latest commitment brings the Silversteins’ total support of Denison’s What We Can Be campaign to $10.8 million. Their gifts will continue to create stepping stones to the future for generations of students, while helping ensure that the promise of a Denison education remains within reach for young people from all backgrounds.
Natalie and Jonathan Silverstein ’89
Jonathan Silverstein ’89
Beyond mentorship
Honoring a deep Denison connection
When Christina Millender ’99 arrived at Denison, she was determined to seize every opportunity. A first-generation college student who independently researched, applied to, and was accepted at 18 colleges, she viewed higher education as the pathway to a different future.
A game-changing moment came through a chance introduction to Betty Lovelace, Ed.D., Denison’s first director of multicultural affairs. After learning Lovelace hired a student worker each year, Millender applied for the position and worked for Lovelace throughout all four years at Denison.
What began as a campus job became a lifelong mentorship.
“Dr. Lovelace is like my second mom,” Millender said. “She’s my mentor. She’s been with me every step of the way.”
That guidance proved especially valuable during Millender’s senior year when she realized law school was no longer the right path. Lovelace encouraged her to embrace uncertainty with purpose, advice that ultimately led Millender to pursue graduate studies in human resources.
Christina Millender ’99 and Betty Lovelace
Christina Millender ’99
Susan Booth ’85
More than financial aid
When a scholarship means “you belong”
Years before she became an acclaimed theatre director, arts leader, and Denison trustee, Susan Booth ’85 was a prospective student wondering how her family would make college work.
Then the letter arrived.
Inside was news that she had received a Denison scholarship. “It meant so much to me that I could go say to my parents, ‘Hey, it just got a little easier,’” she said.
The financial support mattered. But what Booth remembers most is something less tangible: the feeling that Denison saw her and wanted her to be part of its community.
Now, Booth is helping create that same feeling for future arts students with financial need through the Susan V. Booth ’85 Endowed Scholarship Fund. The idea grew from Booth’s continued connection to Denison and the creative energy she sees on campus today.
“The notion that somebody would want to be there and couldn’t make it work, and that I might be able to make some small impact toward making it work, was just something I had to do,” she said.
As a parent, Booth understands the significance of a scholarship award. “I think about what it means when the school says, ‘Your kid’s important. Your kid’s deserving of being here.’”
That message is exactly what she hopes her scholarship will convey.
“I want it to allow somebody to walk in on day one with a little less imposter syndrome, knowing somebody really wants you to be here,” she said.
Since returning to campus as an alum and interacting with current Denison students, Booth has been struck by their willingness to engage deeply with the world around them. “These are people who look you in the eyeballs and ask you really intelligent questions,” she said.
Through her scholarship, she hopes future students will feel the same certainty she herself experienced when that letter arrived years ago: that they belong at Denison.