Scholarship Brings Charitable Mission Full-Circle

Florida International University alumna Diane Ramy Faulconer and her late husband support the colleges of nursing and business with a $4 million planned gift.

For more than 40 years Florida International University alumna Diane Ramy Faulconer '74 and her late husband, Prentiss Lee Faulconer Jr., made it their mission to positively impact their community. The couple's $4 million planned gift to the Nicole Wertheim College of Nursing & Health Sciences and the College of Business stands to create a lasting legacy for the couple, bringing their charitable mission full circle.

The Prentiss Lee Faulconer Jr. and Diane Ramy Faulconer Endowment Fund will provide scholarships for graduate nursing and business students.

"Lee was a futurist. He saw this planned gift as a way to keep our dedication and passion for our chosen professions alive and thriving through others," Diane says of her husband, who was the country's youngest chief financial officer when he assumed the position at Miami Beach's Mount Sinai Medical Center at 31.

As a certified public accountant, Lee enjoyed a successful career in senior financial management and consulting until his death in November 2013.

Creating a Lasting Legacy

"I wanted FIU to be one of the five charitable trusts that I have established because of the quality of education I received, and I want to make the scholarships available to students committed to continuing their education," Diane says, a world traveler nominated for a 2015 FIU Torch Award.

The couple planned their estate by creating a living trust to underwrite the endowment. Diane reminds potential donors considering similar investments it's important to be involved in designating the use of their gift.

"Whether you want it to impact the students attending a certain school, assist faculty or fund research programs, be specific about how you want your funding to affect the institution you select," she says.

A Shared Opportunity

Diane came to FIU in 1971 as a junior. She describes her experience as a time when there were no computers, cell phones or fax machines, just professors committed to being mentors and students driven to succeed.

While attending FIU, Diane was also working full time as a nurse. She remembers driving her 1971 Volvo from Miami Beach to the airfield, FIU original location.

Diane earned her bachelor's in health science and a master's in management in 1974.

She credits a Mount Sinai Hospital Foundation scholarship for enabling her to reach this achievement.

Diane worked more than 20 years at Mount Sinai Medical Center before serving as an executive consultant for Ernst & Young. She later went on to start her own surgical services consulting firm.

A Challenge to Give Back

Diane's challenge to the next generation of students is to give back to their communities in meaningful ways. Whether it is mentoring or volunteering, she encourages them to contribute to the institutions that helped them become successful.

"I see this as a shared opportunity. We value and reward education, hard work and good choices," she says. "I hope my contribution will be able to help others continue the education mission of FIU and that the students who benefit from these scholarships will enrich Miami and their own communities, making a better place to live for future generations."

Create Your Legacy

Join Diane Ramy Faulconer in investing in the future of FIU by making a planned gift to the University. Contact us to get started.