Seymour “Sy” Kleinfeld didn’t feel comfortable with a flashy celebration of his 65th birthday. Instead, he and his wife Ruth chose to celebrate the potential of others – by establishing the endowed Seymour and Ruth H. Kleinfeld Scholarship for Broward College nursing students.

Helping nursing students attain their degrees from a public institution was a natural fit for the couple. Sy and Ruth had a deep appreciation for public colleges, both having earned degrees from public universities. This, combined with Ruth’s 20-year nursing career, provided the backdrop for their generosity.

One additional factor gave the couple further clarity: when Sy retired from his career as an attorney and immigration judge, he taught college prep English at Broward College. In the classroom, Sy saw the need firsthand.

“The nursing students, especially those who attended at night, were good students,” he said. “They were more motivated, more mature, and all of them worked during the day and had families. It was a sacrifice for them to go to college, so they were more serious about it.”

So the Kleinfelds got serious about helping them out.

“We wanted to do something significant that would feel good and benefit someone other than ourselves,” Sy said. “We thought it would be a nice thing to do.”

The recipients of the Kleinfeld’s scholarships would say their gift was much more than “a nice thing to do.”

“When I received this scholarship, I was so overwhelmed with joy, it was hard to fight back the tears,” said Rachel, the first student to receive the Seymour and Ruth H. Kleinfeld Scholarship. “I was facing financial hardship … I remember feeling a heavy burden lifted off my shoulders when my account was finally paid off.”

“I will never forget the way you helped me along my journey,” she added in her thank-you letter to them. “You have truly touched my life.”

“This scholarship is a continuing gift,” said Sy. “It’ll continue as long as the college exists and will be a legacy for us. This really is something significant for us both.”

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