Gaining More Than They Give
It’s not uncommon to hear from students about the impact scholarships can have on their lives. But, for those who support those scholarships, the experience can be just as impactful.
This is true for Greg Ambrose ’76 and Victoria “Vicki” (Fazio) Ambrose ’77, who have endowed the Ambrose Occupational Therapy Scholarship for more than 15 years.
Their scholarship supports juniors, seniors, or graduate students in the occupational therapy (OT) major who demonstrate financial need and good academic standing. To date, the scholarship has supported over 35 students in meeting their goals of attaining a degree in OT and entering the healthcare workforce.
“It’s become a privilege to support the scholarship and meet these young adults and hear about their achievements,” Greg says. “The faculty is great too; they’ve been so welcoming to us.”
The Inspiration Behind the Scholarship
Vicki graduated from UNH with an OT degree and built a wide-ranging career where she worked in pulmonary care, skilled nursing and rehab, acute and short-term rehabilitation, and pediatrics.
"Occupational Therapy is such a diversified field, and I took full advantage of that,” Vicki says. “It worked well for me and my family. Sometimes I switched jobs out of necessity—because of changes within the company. Other times, I switched because I was ready for something new. Almost everything I did, I truly enjoyed.”
Greg, meanwhile, earned a degree in political science and built a long career in law enforcement, starting at the Portsmouth Police Department and concluding with the Massachusetts State Police.
When the couple decided to establish a scholarship, Greg wanted to focus on occupational therapy because of his personal experiences with OT and his admiration for Vicki’s contributions to the field.
“I wanted to honor my wife’s degree,” Greg says. “OT is a profession I have a lot of respect for.”
The Joy of Giving Back
The couple began with modest donations, but they increased their contributions as they approached retirement and became more financially secure. They also discovered how deeply fulfilling it is to make a difference in students' lives.
Greg recalls attending one of the first scholarship award ceremonies and listening to a speech by a woman who had established a scholarship in honor of her niece’s OT career.
“She spoke about the theme of 'paying it forward' and how much satisfaction it brought her,” Greg recalls. “Rather than spending money on material things, she found fulfillment in giving back, and that idea really stuck with us.”
Over the years, attending those ceremonies to meet the scholarship recipients has become a highlight for the couple.
“It blows me away what these students are exposed to,” Vicki says. “When I was in school things were much simpler. There was no technology compared to today such as the CHHS Simulation Facility. We had clinicals, which gave us some field experience, but that was about it. Now, these students are doing research projects, getting out into all these facilities, and being so heavily involved. It’s impressive.”
Still, as much as the profession has changed, the advice that Vicki gives to students never changes.
“It’s the patient-therapist connection. To me, that’s what it’s all about,” Vicki says. “Treat your patients as individuals, not cases. Use a kind approach. Go in with a smile and a hopeful attitude. A therapist must connect with patients on a human level, offering empathy and reassurance.”
For Greg, the most rewarding part of their involvement is seeing Vicki interact with the students.
“Selfishly, I get a kick out of sitting back and watching my wife talk OT language with the students,” Greg adds.
