\u201cNJCU serves a population where this scholarship is really going to make a difference in the life of a student,\u201d Silverman added. \u201cIt\u2019s a significant investment. Rather than donating to a huge university with billions of dollars, you can really make a difference in the lives of students from our community every year. I encourage others who are in a position to give back to consider the impact a gift such as this will have.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Eric (left) and Paul Silverman, brothers and principals of SILVERMAN, are pictured at Andco North, a coworking space within their newest mixed-use development in Jersey City\u2019s Hamilton Park section. \u2014 Photo by Aaron Houston for Real Estate NJ<\/p>\n
Acebo added: \u201cPaul Silverman and his family\u2019s generous commitment to our students demonstrates their profound understanding that education is the foundation upon which strong communities are built. As someone who has literally shaped the skyline and neighborhoods of Jersey City, Paul recognizes that investing in our students is the most important investment we can make in our community\u2019s future. His gift will support the very students who define our campus community \u2014 hardworking individuals, predominantly first-generation working-class scholars, who are determined to succeed notwithstanding significant challenges and obstacles. We are deeply grateful for Paul\u2019s renewed partnership with our campus mission and his unwavering belief in the transformative power of education.\u201d<\/p>\n
In announcing the gift, NJCU noted that Paul and Eric Silverman since 1981 have developed more than 1,000 homes and hundreds of thousands of square feet of commercial and industrial space in Jersey City. That has included restoration of historic buildings, renovation of existing buildings and new construction in areas such as Hamilton Park and other parts of downtown.<\/p>\n
Paul Silverman is also a noted supporter of the arts and other causes, while he has served as chairman of New Jersey Beer Co., a microbrewery producing craft beer, since 2011. Beyond his business achievements, he has been a consistent advocate for public education and community development, having also supported a host of Hudson County nonprofits.<\/p>\n
Additionally, Silverman is as a trustee emeritus at Muhlenberg College in Allentown, Pennsylvania, and sits on the board of the Hudson County Chamber of Commerce, the news release said. He is also co-founder of the Youth Foundation of Jersey City and supports organizations including CitySail, New City Kids, Art House Productions and Team Wilderness, while he recently established the Silverman Family Scholarship Fund at Hudson County Community College with a $25,000 endowment to the HCCC Foundation.<\/p>\n
With the upcoming merger of NJCU with Kean University to form Kean Jersey City, the nonprofit NJCU Foundation will continue to operate as a separate entity, the news release said. The foundation will continue its mission of raising critical funds and providing scholarships that enable students to enter to learn and exit to serve, transforming individual lives while strengthening the communities we serve as an economic engine for social mobility and opportunity.<\/p>\n
NJCU added that the investment returns for the Silverman Family Scholarship will provide ongoing support for its students in perpetuity.<\/p>\n
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