Steven Glasgal, a Spring 1988 SAS alum, was known to be the most fulfilled when he was on an adventure. Naturally, then, Semester at Sea was one of the greatest periods of his life. Lauren Karny, Steven’s sister, said: “When he was traveling, he was the happiest, enjoying learning about new cultures and having great experiences. I feel like the best time of his life was when he was on Semester at Sea.”
When Steven very sadly passed away in 2016, then, it felt intuitive to his friends and family to establish a scholarship in his name with the SAS organization. For Lauren, establishing a scholarship for needs-based student-voyagers was a way to keep Steven – known to be generous, adventurous, lively, welcoming, and kind – very much alive in spirit. “We thought a scholarship was a great way to honor him in the spirit of giving, which Steven very much believed in – giving to others, thinking about other people’s feelings, and kind of sharing that joy.”
Steve Demos, who met Steven G. while they were both students at San Diego State, recalls realizing they would both be going on Semester at Sea, and saying nonchalantly, “Hey, why don’t we be roommates?” And what began as a casual agreement quickly grew into a life-changing friendship. “On the ship, we became very close friends, so it was a great situation,” Steve D. said. He recalls that, as they traveled around the world together, Steven G. pushed him beyond his comfort zone, always leading with a sense of adventure. “He loved to explore, loved to go off the beaten path – he taught me the value of doing that when traveling, which is one thing I still do to this day.”
When eventually conceptualizing the idea of memorial scholarship in Steven G.’s name, Steve D. recalled all of these memories their small group shared on and off the ship: “I was just thinking about Steven’s love of travel and that we had such a wonderful time on the ship.”
And, so, the Steven Glasgal Memorial Scholarship was created by Lauren, Steve D., and Jon Elliott, another close friend who also traveled with Steven G. on the Spring 1988 voyage.
Together, the group began reaching out and raising funds, and the scholarship quickly gained momentum. Since its inception, the Steven Glasgal Memorial Scholarship has awarded $5,000 to a scholarship recipient, which Semester at Sea also matches, resulting in a $10,000 scholarship per student recipient. “Before we knew it, it was going strong,” Steve D. said. “It’s just really taken off, and I’m super proud – I just know Steve G. would be so happy to see what’s happening in his name – to know that people who ordinarily couldn’t go on a SAS trip are able to do it because of him is just amazing.” Since the scholarship’s beginnings, 12 SAS students have now sailed with support from this fund!
The group working in Steven’s honor also serves as a wonderful example of SAS donors in action, as the small group working behind the scenes to promote and raise funds for the scholarship has gone above and beyond. For example, for the past three years, Lauren has hosted a pickleball tournament in Los Angeles. “People pay to play, and all the money goes to the scholarship,” she said. “This year, we had 58 donations, which was amazing.” In the near future, the group is in talks to hold a similar tournament in the Newport Beach area. She is working with Steven D. and Jon to further explore this idea, as well as the possibility of a future event in the Bay Area, where Steven G. and Lauren grew up.
For Lauren, the ongoing work to raise funds for Steven’s scholarship is both personal and purposeful. “I find it very satisfying and joyful that we are able to raise thousands of dollars to go towards the scholarship,” she said. “It just makes me feel good that students can sail under my brother’s name.” She hopes people reading about the scholarship will understand what’s truly at stake if they choose to contribute to the fund, too. “I feel like this scholarship could really change the trajectory of a student’s life – to be able to explore the world and have these experiences and to meet the people around the world and on the voyage. That could mean lifelong friendships, all made possible by all of us giving.”
Each year, letters arrive from scholarship recipients – reinforcing the impact of the fund for this small group, promoting the fund. “The majority of the students say that without Steven’s scholarship, they would not be able to attend the SAS program,” Steve D. shared. “Everyone says the same thing – it’s life-changing, and it’s all because Steven was such a great person to be around, and because he loved Semester at Sea so much. So, for me, that’s what it’s all about.”
And, so, the memorial scholarship in Steven Glasgal’s name continues in the spirit of what he did every day in his lifetime – seeking new experiences, bringing people together, and encouraging others to step beyond familiar places. Today, Steven’s legacy lives on in the SAS voyagers who are now also doing all of these things with the financial support they need to make it happen – as well as with the ongoing support of the friends and family who loved Steven, who are making the scholarship grow and thrive for the benefit of generations of student-voyagers to come. To learn more about Steven Glasgal or make a donation to his memorial scholarship, please visit the scholarship page here.
