Inspiring Scholarship Recipients to Pay It Forward

Kellogg Alumna Supports Future MBA Students With Bequest

For Nancy Borghesi ’76 MBA, giving back has always been second nature. “I come from a culture where you give back to your University,” she says. “No matter how much money you have, you should give something back to higher education.” This spirit inspired Borghesi to support the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University through a generous bequest in her estate.

Borghesi’s educational journey started at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she studied math and economics, leading her to her first job working for the government. After five years in the workforce, Borghesi wanted to further her business skills and enrolled at the Northwestern Graduate School of Commerce (now Kellogg) in the managerial economics and decision sciences program.

“It was such a fabulous education that opened doors for me,” she says. “I just can’t say enough about how Kellogg focused on teamwork. Everything I’ve done since has utilized those teamwork skills.”

“Open Up the Doors”

Borghesi’s Kellogg experience prepared her for a successful career working on and leading teams. She spent nearly 10 years in consulting and more than 15 years at a startup company specializing in software for the property and casualty insurance industry.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Borghesi also has dedicated herself to volunteering with and supporting nonprofits and foundations across the country, including the Girl Scouts, the University of Wisconsin, and Northwestern.

“Everyone with an MBA should try to give back something of their knowledge and their treasures,” she says. “Kellogg graduates especially have some really unique skills, and organizations need these kinds of people on their boards.”

In 2014, she established the Nancy T. Borghesi Scholarship Fund, which will provide support to Kellogg students beginning this fall. To ensure that the scholarship fund continues beyond her lifetime, Borghesi also committed to a bequest in her estate plan. Bequests, often made through a will or trust, allow donors to make a significant impact while retaining control over their assets during their lifetime.

“In today’s world, having an MBA is becoming a prerequisite in many industries … and for the less economically privileged person, that becomes quite a challenge,” Borghesi says. “I think scholarships are important to open up the doors for more people to be able to afford to go.”

Borghesi hopes her scholarship will inspire generations of Kellogg students to give. “I want my gift to encourage those who receive a scholarship to be generous and to ensure that the pay-it-forward concept endures,” Borghesi says. “If you benefit from something, when you have the wherewithal, you should make sure someone else can benefit as well.”

Pave the Way

Through a gift in your estate plan, you can ensure that future generations of Northwestern students have the opportunity to thrive. Contact Northwestern Gift Planning at 800-826-6709 or giftplanning@northwestern.edu to learn more.