Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg launches scholarship in memory of husband

JTA – Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg announced the creation of a scholarship program  named after her late husband for low-income college students.

Sandberg announced the Dave Goldberg Scholarship Program in a post Oct. 2 on Facebook on what would have been his 50th birthday.

The scholarships, paid for by the Sheryl Sandberg and Dave Goldberg Family Foundation, are designed to allow the students to focus on school rather than working by providing the students with significant stipends and mentors. The 15 recipients of the annual scholarships, which Sandberg referred to as Goldies Scholars, will come from KIPP Schools, the largest network of charter schools in the country.

“Dave was one of the most generous people I’ve ever known. He gave his time, advice, and support to so many people that, to this day, I’m still hearing new stories about how he changed people’s lives,” Sandberg wrote. “He set the standard for generosity for many others – and I strive every day to live up to his example and teach our children to follow in his footsteps.

“Dave wanted to make our world a better place for everyone. And he was particularly passionate about education. Dave was deeply grateful for the education he received and he believed strongly that every child, no matter who they are or where they’re from, deserved those same opportunities.”

Goldberg, the CEO of Survey Monkey, died suddenly in May 2015 after sustaining a head trauma when he fell off of a treadmill while vacationing with his family in Mexico. He was 47.

The couple was married for 11 years and had two children. Sandberg in a moving Facebook post in June 2015 wrote an essay about marking the end of the shloshim, or the first 30 days following a loved one’s death. Sandberg is the author of “Lean In: Women, Work, and the Will to Lead.”