Rosemarie Pinho Kasica ‘88 is a proud alumna of Cook College and SC&I (then known as the School of Communication, Information and Library Studies). In addition to holding a bachelor of arts in Journalism and Mass Media, Rosie earned a master’s degree in Broadcast Journalism from New York University. She spent most of her career as a senior producer and is now a business administration manager with CNN. She is the recipient of three Peabody Awards for broadcast journalism and MADD Media Awards. 

Rosie created the Manuel Pinho and Mário Teques Endowed Scholarship to help support full- and part-time undergraduate students who demonstrate academic merit and financial need, with preference given to first-generation students. Explaining the genesis of the scholarship, Rosie said, “We created this fund in the name of my father, Manuel Pinho, and his close friend and my godfather, Mário Teques. They came to the United States from Portugal to make a better life for themselves and their families. They were a big influence on my life, demonstrating tireless efforts and cultural commitment to their community. A big part of that commitment was helping students achieve their dream of a college education by raising funds through numerous Portuguese-American community endeavors. For both men, their efforts paid off when both I and Mário’s daughter, Cristina Teques, graduated from Rutgers, the first in our families to get college degrees.” 

When asked why she supports SC&I, Rosie said, “I’m just so grateful for the education that I received at Rutgers, especially at the journalism school. Without that, I would not be as successful as I am. It was a good building block for me, and everything I have learned goes back to Rutgers and my education. After my father died, my godfather encouraged me to carry on his good works. I know that first-gen students struggle, and I wanted to help. I looked at the sacrifices that my parents made. My mother worked a lot of overtime to make sure I had what I needed for college, and she never made me feel bad about that. I got my values from my parents. My achievements were their achievements. I appreciate so much what my parents did. My mom is happy with me paying it forward, and I know my father would be too.” 

To join Rosie Kasica and our other donors in helping make a world-class Rutgers education attainable and affordable, visit SC&I Giving or contact Assistant Dean for Development Rob Eccles.

Photo: Courtesy of Rosie Kasica CC’88