On Saturday, May 18th, Margaret was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from the University of San Francisco for her dedication and work to help feed and educate impoverished children in Haiti. She also delivered the commencement address to the graduates of the University’s Graduate School of Management. Click here to see the recording of Margaret’s address. Move the cursor to 30:47 for the start of her speech. If you’d like to watch the introduction as well, move it to 24:11.
In inviting Margaret to receive this honor, University of San Francisco President Stephen A. Privett, S.J., cited her gift of living life “with generosity and kindness” and being “an inspiring example of… living out a preferential option for the poorest citizens in the Western Hemisphere. We can think of no better person,” President Privett continues, “to encourage our graduates to lead a courageous and purposeful life.”
Margaret and the What If? Foundation are deeply honored by this recognition. Fr. Jean-Juste received an honorary doctorate from USF in 2006, which makes this recognition even more special. Because of the University’s commitment to social justice and mission to create a more just and humane world through educating tomorrow’s ethical leaders, this is an honor not only for Margaret, but also for the What If? Foundation, our Haitian partners Na Rive, and our family of donors and supporters.
We know you share our enthusiasm and invite you to spread the word with your Facebook and twitter friends.
Here is the press release that the University of San Francisco sent out last week:
University of San Francisco Honors What If? Foundation Founder Margaret Trost
SAN FRANCISCO (May 16, 2013) – The University of San Francisco (USF) will present an honorary doctorate in humane letters to Margaret Trost, founder of the What If? Foundation, this Sat., May 18, at 6 p.m. The What If? Foundation teams with its Haitian partners to fund programs throughout Port-au-Prince that provide 6,000 meals each week, more than 200 school scholarships each year, an after-school program for 240 youth, and a summer camp for 550 children. The What If? Foundation is the only funder of such programs for the children of Haiti.
“Margaret Trost has been working with poor Haitians for more than a decade,” said USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J., who will confer the honorary degree during the graduation ceremony for more than 300 graduate students of USF’s Masagung Graduate School of Management. “She certainly exemplifies the truism of the founder of the Jesuit order, Ignatius of Loyola, that love shows itself in deeds more than in words. What if everyone lived this maxim as well as Margaret?”
“I am deeply honored to receive this honorary doctorate from the University of San Francisco, which inspires me through its commitment to use academic excellence as a vehicle for creating a more humane and just world,” said Trost. “I am especially grateful for this opportunity to share my experiences with the next generation of leaders as they prepare to use their skills and knowledge in the pursuit of social justice.”
In 2000, Ms. Trost traveled to Haiti for the first time to volunteer at an orphanage founded by Mother Teresa. She was inspired by the faith and dedication of the sisters who administered to the people, but was overwhelmed by the suffering she saw throughout Port-au-Prince, especially among children, many of whom experienced daily hunger and faced disease related to acute malnutrition and the absence of clean drinking water. During her visit, she met Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste, a Haitian priest, now deceased, and a 2006 recipient of a USF honorary degree, who told Ms. Trost of the hunger most children experienced there. Motivated to make a difference, Trost returned to California and founded the What If? Foundation to support food and education programs for impoverished children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Ms. Trost credits the success of What If? to the collaboration with the foundation’s Haitian partners, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the aide directly benefits children.
About the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco’s first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student’s passion for social justice and a desire to “Change the World from Here.” For more information, please visit www.usfca.edu.
Please join us in congratulating Margaret on receiving an honorary doctorate in human letters from USF for her work with the What If? Foundation and our partners in Haiti.
Here is USF’s press release announcing this great honor:
SAN FRANCISCO (May 16, 2013) – The University of San Francisco (USF) will present an honorary doctorate in humane letters to Margaret Trost, founder of the What If? Foundation, this Sat., May 18, at 6 p.m. The What If? Foundation teams with its Haitian partners to fund programs in the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood of Port-au-Prince that provide 6,000 meals each week, more than 200 school scholarships each year, an after-school program for 240 youth, and a summer camp for 550 children. The What If? Foundation is the only funder of these community-based programs.
“Margaret Trost has been working with poor Haitians for more than a decade,” said USF President Stephen A. Privett, S.J., who will confer the honorary degree during the graduation ceremony for more than 300 graduate students of USF’s Masagung Graduate School of Management. “She certainly exemplifies the truism of the founder of the Jesuit order, Ignatius of Loyola, that love shows itself in deeds more than in words. What if everyone lived this maxim as well as Margaret?”
“I am deeply honored to receive this honorary doctorate from the University of San Francisco, which inspires me through its commitment to use academic excellence as a vehicle for creating a more humane and just world,” said Trost. “I am especially grateful for this opportunity to share my experiences with the next generation of leaders as they prepare to use their skills and knowledge in the pursuit of social justice.”
In 2000, Trost traveled to Haiti for the first time to volunteer at a hospice founded by Mother Teresa. She was inspired by the faith and dedication of the sisters who administered to the people, but was overwhelmed by the suffering she saw throughout Port-au-Prince, especially among children, many of whom experienced daily hunger and faced disease related to acute malnutrition and the absence of clean drinking water. During her visit, she met Fr. Gerard Jean-Juste, a Haitian priest, now deceased, and a 2006 USF honorary degree recipient, who told Trost of the hunger most children experienced there. Motivated to make a difference, Trost returned to California and founded the What If? Foundation to support food and education programs for impoverished children in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Trost credits the success of What If? to the collaboration with the foundation’s Haitian partners, who have worked tirelessly to ensure that the aide directly benefits children.
The graduation ceremony will take place at St. Ignatius Catholic Church on the USF campus—located at 650 Parker Ave. (at Fulton Street) in San Francisco.
About the University of San Francisco
The University of San Francisco is located in the heart of one of the world’s most innovative and diverse cities and is home to a vibrant academic community of students and faculty who achieve excellence in their fields. Its diverse student body enjoys direct access to faculty, small classes, and outstanding opportunities in the city itself. USF is San Francisco’s first university, and its Jesuit Catholic mission helps ignite a student’s passion for social justice and a desire to “Change the World from Here.” For more information, please visit www.usfca.edu.
The host, Doug Doyle, discusses with Margaret her book, On That Day, Everybody Ate, the What If? Foundation, her experience in Haiti, and the value of taking small steps towards change.
As always, a big thank you to everyone who continues to stand beside us and our Haitian partners by supporting the What If? Foundation.
Today the What If? staff, along with founder Margaret Trost, will travel to Port-au-Prince to meet with our Haitian partners, Na Rive, who lovingly run the food and education programs day after day. Margaret shares: “This is a journey I look forward to because it re-connects me with the children we serve and the challenges they face in their daily struggle to survive. It reminds me of the difference every meal and every school scholarship makes. And it reinforces the importance of our 13-year partnership, which is a model of sustainable development through community-based, Haitian-led programs that are effectively serving the most vulnerable.”
We are looking forward to hearing an update on the programs supported by your openhearted donations.
As the staff of What if?, along with founder Margaret Trost, prepare to leave for Haiti next week, please take a moment to visit the Ti Plas Kazo neighborhood with them in this 3 minute video (below) to see the impact your donations are making today in the lives of hungry children.
It's called "Building the Dream: A New School and Cafeteria for Children in Haiti". After watching the video on the left, click here to learn more about the project and how you can support it.
On Saturday, May 18th, Margaret was awarded an honorary degree, Doctor of Humane Letters, from the University of San Francisco for her dedication and work to help feed and educate impoverished children in Haiti. She also delivered the commencement address to the graduates of the University’s Graduate School of Management. Click here to see the recording of Margaret’s address. Move the cursor to 30:47 for the start of her speech. If you’d like to watch the introduction as well, move it to 24:11.
