Virginia Silveira.
San José State University is pleased to announce that it has received a $1.6 million gift from the late Virginia Silveira, ‘36 Business Administration. The gift creates scholarships for undergraduates in the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.
“Virginia Silveira’s gift to the Lucas College of Business is one of the most impactful donations for scholarships that we have ever received and will benefit generations of students,” said Dan Moshavi, dean of the Lucas College and Graduate School of Business.
About Virginia Silveira
Born and raised in San José, Silveira was from a Portuguese American family, attended school locally and earned two degrees from San José State before dedicating 30 years as an accounting officer at her alma mater. A cancer survivor, Silveira volunteered at the American Cancer Society for 25 years. Following her retirement in 1976, she traveled the world with her sister Edna. Together they visited 49 countries.
Virginia Silveira (right), pictured with her sister Edna. Photo courtesy of Suzanne Avina.
“Virginia lived for 101 years as a single and childless woman at a time when her independence wasn’t really appreciated,” said her great-niece Sue Fagalde Lick, ’74 Journalism. “She traveled a great deal and was very interested in other cultures.”
Suzanne Avina, ’92 MS Nursing, cared for Silveira, her husband’s aunt, in her later years.
“She always talked about San José State fondly, with lots of respect—the days that she was there as a student and as an employee,” said Avina. “It was her persona. She was a very hard worker in every part of her life.”
“Virginia Silveira epitomized the Spartan spirit: she was dedicated, hard-working and committed to making the world a better place,” said Theresa Davis, vice president for university advancement and CEO of the Tower Foundation. “Generations of San José State students will benefit from her generosity for years to come.”
To learn how you can support the university with a planned gift, please contact Randy Balogh, director of planned giving, at 408-924-1123 or via email at randy.balogh@sjsu.edu.
About San José State University
The founding campus of the 23-campus California State University system, San José State provides a comprehensive university education, granting bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degrees in 250 areas of study offered through its nine colleges. With more than 35,000 students and nearly 4,370 employees, San José State University continues to be an essential partner in the economic, cultural and social development of Silicon Valley and the state, annually contributing 10,000 graduates to the workforce.The university is immensely proud of the accomplishments of its more than 280,000 alumni, 60 percent of whom live and work in the Bay Area.