Gerald M. Starek (left) at an San Jose State-San Diego State football game (SJSU Alumni Association photo).
Media contact:
Pat Lopes Harris, 408-656-6999
SAN JOSE, CA – At a time when rising tuition is making it tougher for good students to go to college, an alumnus has stepped forward with a generous gift.
Gerald M. Starek, ’63 Accounting and Finance, has made a $2.5 million commitment to establish the Gerald M. Starek Family Athletics Scholarship Endowment and the Gerald M. Starek Family Alumni Association Scholarship Endowment supporting students and student-athletes majoring in accounting and finance.
“Keeping the doors of higher education open to all for many generations to come is among the greatest gifts we can give,” said President Mohammad Qayoumi. “On behalf of San Jose State University, I would like to thank Mr. Starek for stepping forward to support his alma mater.”
Up to eight scholarships of $7,500 each will be awarded annually and recipients will be eligible to receive the scholarship for four years. Because the funding includes cash gifts and a bequest, the scholarships will be available beginning this fall through the SJSU Financial Aid and Scholarship Office. View current SJSU tuition and fees.
“I was the oldest of eight kids and the first to graduate from college,” Starek said. “I could not have gone to SJSU if tuition was as high as it is now. With this gift, I can help students, who otherwise couldn’t afford college, receive a great education at SJSU like I did.”
Starek found his top-tier experience at San Jose State well positioned him to compete and succeed upon entering the accounting and finance field and throughout his career as a Silicon Valley entrepreneur. He founded Silicon Valley Group Inc., a supplier of automated wafer processing equipment for the semiconductor industry.
After taking the company public in 1983, he moved on to serve on the boards of many public and private companies. His hobbies include traveling, golfing, fly fishing, scuba diving and attending collegiate athletics events.
“I am grateful to be able to support students and student-athletes,” he said. “Since I was able to receive an outstanding education at SJSU at a very minimal cost, I would like to give students today the same opportunity.”
Learn more about Acceleration: The Campaign for San Jose State.
San Jose State — Silicon Valley’s largest institution of higher learning with 30,500 students and 3,850 employees — is part of the California State University system. SJSU’s 154-acre downtown campus anchors the nation’s 10th largest city.