The Louis DeJoy and Aldona Wos Family Foundation supports educational growth on all levels from pre-kindergarten to graduate school through grants, scholarships and capital campaign gifts. In addition to expanding opportunities in the classroom, the Foundation emphasizes the importance of athletics, citizenship and study abroad programs.
Dr. Aldona Woś at the 2023 IWP Gala
Louis DeJoy and Dr. Aldona Woś with the 2022 IWP scholarship recipients
Louis DeJoy and Dr. Aldona Woś with the 2021 IWP scholarship recipients
Dr. Aldona Woś with guests at the 2019 IWP Chancellor’s Dinner
U.S. Secretary of Defense James Mattis addressed the Class of 2018 at the IWP Commencement Ceremony. Pictured here with Dr. Aldona Woś.
The Institute of World Politics
The Institute of World Politics (IWP) is an independent graduate school that provides professional education in statecraft, national security, and international affairs, dedicated to developing leaders with a sound understanding of international realities and the ethical conduct of statecraft.
Dr. Aldona Woś is currently the President of IWP. The family has been a strong supporter of IWP since 2007. In April 2022, the DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation made a $100,000 contribution to the Institute of World Politics at an event held in Greensboro. There were over 100 in attendance and included guest speakers from IWP, Dr. James Robbins, Interim Dean of Academics and Dr. John Lenczowski, Founder, President Emeritus and Chancellor. Select this link to view photos from the event.
IWP Chancellor’s Council Dinner:
The Chancellor’s Council is comprised of IWP top supporters—enabling IWP to advance its mission to educate and launch patriotic statesmen for American leadership in world politics.
In 2023, The DeJoy\Wos Family Foundation was an Ambassador Sponsor for IWP’s Gala titled “From IWP with Love”: An Evening of Espionage which took place at the International Spy Museum on October 26, 2023. In 2022, The DeJoy\Wos Foundation was an Ambassador Sponsor for The Institute of World Politics 2022 Gala & Dinner which took place on September 28, 2022, at The Ritz-Carlton, Pentagon City in Alexandria, VA. In 2021, the Chancellor’s Council Dinner took place in conjunction with IWP’s 30 Plus 1 Anniversary Gala. The DeJoy\Wos Foundation contributed at the Ambassador level for the dinner and made an additional contribution at the event.
The Louis DeJoy and Aldona Woś Family Foundation Scholarship:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation has made a 10-year pledge to support The Louis DeJoy and Aldona Woś Family Foundation Scholarship. This scholarship, established in 2017, will help enable exceptional M.A. and future doctoral candidates, who are in financial need, to attend IWP and become leaders in the fields of international affairs, national security, and intelligence. The scholarship will provide up to full tuition per semester. Recipients will be expected to succeed academically, be active members of the IWP community, and be dedicated to the spirit of service and civic duty. (See News Release and IWP’s Website Announcement)
Scholarships are awarded by IWP each semester based on criteria that may include recent graduates of accredited colleges or universities, demonstrated financial need, high grade point average, well-written and thoughtful application essays, a demonstrated history of leadership or leadership potential, a commitment to full-time study, and special skill sets relevant to IWP programs. Other factors may also be considered.
Three new students were awarded scholarships in 2023. Learn more about these students and their aspirations here. Since 2017, 20 IWP students have received the scholarship. Click here to read more about these outstanding scholarship recipients.
The Kosciuszko Chair of Polish Studies:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation has provided IWP with a gift to support the matching of a $1 million challenge grant that was awarded to IWP by the American Institute of Polish Culture (AIPC) to establish the Kościuszko Chair as a permanent professorship and program at the school.
The Kościuszko Chair serves as a center for Polish Studies in the broadest sense, including learning, teaching, researching, and writing about Poland’s culture, history, heritage, religion, government, economy, and successes in the arts, sciences, and letters, with special emphasis on the achievements of Polish civilization and its relation to other nations, particularly the United States.
The mission of the Chair is premised, in part, on the belief that over the last several centuries, the written record of Polish history has been shaped by political forces inimical to Polish independence and culture: including the imperial powers that partitioned Poland in the 18th century, Nazi Germany, and the Soviet Union.
2023 DeJoy-Wos Leadership Scholars with Louis DeJoy & Aldona Woś – July 2023
2022 DeJoy-Wos Leadership Scholars with Louis DeJoy – July 2022
2021 DeJoy-Wos Leadership Scholars celebrate with Louis DeJoy – July 22, 2021
Louis DeJoy presents the Congressional Scholarship Award to Richard Burr at the TFAS annual awards dinner – July 15, 2014
The Fund for American Studies
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation supports The Fund for American Studies (TFAS), an educational nonprofit that is changing the world by developing leaders for a free society. The transformational programs teach the principles of limited government, free-market economics, and honorable leadership to students and young professionals around the world.
On September 22, 2018, Louis DeJoy and Dr. Aldona Woś traveled to Estonia to host a reception for alumni of TFAS and Estonian Dignitaries at the Radisson Blu Sky Hotel in Tallinn, Estonia. The event focused on alumni engagement, continuing education, encouraging alumni to meet regularly in the future for networking and to helping each other in their careers and in their work on behalf of shared values. Nearly 100 people were invited to the event. (See News Release and Photos of the event.)
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation was a “Reception Sponsor” for the 33rd Annual TFAS Scholarship Dinner, which was held on July 12, 2023 at the Four Seasons Hotel in Washington, D.C. Last year, the Foundation was a “Dinner Sponsor” for the 32nd Annual TFAS Scholarship Dinner, held on July 13, 2022.
Funds raised by this annual dinner support scholarships for highly qualified, ambitious student leaders to attend transformational TFAS Programs.
In 2018, the Foundation made a $500,000 five-year pledge to support the TFAS 50th Anniversary Liberty + Leadership Campaign to provide scholarships for students attending TFAS programs in Washington, D.C. In March 2022, the Foundation made its final pledge payment of the five-year commitment. The annual support is prioritized for students from North Carolina with financial need, as well as a full scholarship to a student from Estonia.
Over the past 18 years, Louis DeJoy and Dr. Aldona Woś have provided scholarship assistance to enable more than 120 North Carolina and over 52 Estonian students to participate in TFAS summer institutes.
In 2023, 8 North Carolina students, as well as one Estonian student, were selected to benefit from the scholarships. Recipients received tuition and housing scholarships to attend TFAS programs in Washington, D.C. (see News Release.) Click here to read about Abigail Lee, an Elon University student who received the scholarship.
In 2022, 8 North Carolina students, as well as one Estonian student, were selected to benefit from the scholarships. They will participate in the prestigious Leadership Scholars Program as part of the 2022 TFAS Academic Internship Programs in Washington, D.C. (see News Release)
In 2021, 8 North Carolina students, as well as one Estonian student, received full tuition and housing scholarships to participate in the prestigious Leadership Scholars Program as part of the 2021 TFAS Academic Internship Programs in Washington, D.C. Read how the TFAS scholarship has benefited one student.
In 2020, 8 North Carolina students participated in virtual internships and programs. https://tfas.org/news/eight-north-carolina-college-students-receive-prestigious-dejoy-wos-scholarships-to-participate-in-tfas-virtual-summer/
In 2019, 10 North Carolina students, as well as one Estonian student, were selected to benefit from the scholarships. The DeJoy-Wos Leadership Scholars spent eight weeks during the summer in Washington, D.C., where they held internships in government and private sector organizations and attended classes at George Mason University (see News Release and TFAS News Release)
The family has provided funding to TFAS since 2006.
(see News Release)
From left: Andrew DeJoy, Dr. Aldona Woś, Louis DeJoy and Ania DeJoy at the dedication of the DEJOY FAMILY CLUB – September 19, 2016
Duke University – Durham, NC
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation’s 2023 contribution to Duke University marks 17 years of support for Duke’s educational, athletic, and building fund programs since 2007.
Duke University School of Law:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation has made a five-year pledge (beginning June 2018) to support Duke University School of Law. The endowed fund honors David F. Levi, who stepped down as the James B. Duke and Benjamin N. Duke Dean of Duke Law School after serving for 11 years and establishes a distinguished professorship in law & judicial studies and the directorship of the Bolch Judicial Institute in his honor and support of his legacy. Levi, who became dean in 2007, has overseen a period of significant growth in Duke Law’s faculty, academic programs, financial aid, and fundraising. See News Release and Duke’s Website Announcement.
Duke Law School is an ambitious, forward-thinking, and innovative institution whose mission is to prepare students for responsible and productive lives in the legal profession. As a community of scholars, the Law School also provides leadership at the national and international levels in efforts to improve the law and legal institutions through teaching, research, and other forms of public service.
DeJoy Family Club at Blue Devil Tower:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation supported the transformation of Wallace Wade Stadium with the addition of the new 110,000 square foot Blue Devil Tower at Duke University, which includes the DeJoy Family Club, the Delta Suite Level, the Duke President’s Suite, the press level and Blue Devil Network’s command center, as well as space on the roof for video filming.
The DeJoy Family Club in Blue Devil Tower has 516 club seats, 174 outdoor table tops, and offers club and table top seat-holders complimentary food and beverages. The space also serves as a year-round training table for Duke student-athletes and event space for special venues.
Iron Dukes Annual Fund:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation supports several giving societies through the Iron Dukes Annual Fund to help ensure the current and long-term success of Duke Athletics.
Braxton Craven Fellows of the James B. Duke Society – recognizing Duke’s most generous supporters, the Braxton Craven Fellows is a tier of the James B. Duke Society honoring friends whose extraordinary commitment and leadership have helped transform Duke, just as President Braxton Craven transformed Union Institute into Trinity College, and whose generous support of the university totals $1 million or more.
The Iron Dukes Champions Club – an exclusive club for donors contributing $100,000 or more to the Iron Dukes Annual Fund each year.
The Cameron-Wade Society – named for Duke legends Eddie Cameron and Wallace Wade, the Cameron-Wade Society is comprised of donors who make annual gifts in the amount of a full scholarship.
Barrister Donor Society – the Duke Law School’s leadership giving society, founded in 1975 to set a standard of commitment that encourages support from others. The Barrister Donor Society recognizes alumni and friends whose generous support enables Duke to maintain its status as one of the top law schools in the country.
Our donations to these societies support:
– Fuqua School of Business,
– School of Law,
– Lanty L. Smith Professorship, and several other notable Duke programs
Pictured (left to right) are State Senator Gladys Robinson, Bennett College President Dr. Phyllis Worthy Dawkins, Dr. Aldona Woś, and Bennett College Vice President for Institutional Advancement Danny Gatling.
Bennett College – Greensboro, NC
Bennett College is one of only two Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) for women in the United States. Founded in 1873 in Greensboro, North Carolina, Bennett College is a historically black, all women’s private college. Since 1930 more than 5,000 women have graduated from Bennett College.
In 2018, Bennett saw a 16 percent growth in enrollment. With 465 students currently enrolled, Bennett has accepted the admission of 2,000 students of the 4,000 that applied for next year’s class.
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation made a contribution to show its support for Bennett College and the “Stand with Bennett” campaign to help maintain the local college’s accreditations. With a $5 million goal, Bennett College announced Monday, February 4 that it had surpassed their goal and raised $8.2 million in support of keeping the college accredited.
See News Release and the Bennett College Website announcement
Monsignor Marcaccio, Dr. Aldona Woś and Louis DeJoy at the dedication of the DeJoy Primary Education Center – August 2016
Ania DeJoy and Monsignor Marcaccio at the 2019 St. Pius X Catholic School Biennial Gala
DeJoy Primary Education Center at St. Pius X – Greensboro, NC
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation was a proud benefactor of the state-of-the-art building at St. Pius X School. The DeJoy Primary Education Center houses a new pre-kindergarten program, as well as kindergarten and first grade. The $3.6 million center is part of the parish’s $8.6 million “Making a Place to Gather and Grow” campaign.
The DeJoy Primary Education Center enables St. Pius X School to focus on younger learners’ needs and then shepherd them through their elementary school years, with teachers working together to ensure everything is streamlined and seamless.
The 22,885-square foot facility opened on August 22, 2016, and has a 154-student capacity. It has been uniquely designed from the ground up to meet the physical and educational needs of younger students.
Additionally, the DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation was a major benefactor for the new Saint Pius the Tenth church, dedicated in 2010. The family’s gift was used to build the Cloister. In 2021, the DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation made an additional gift to St. Pius X.
St. Pius X Catholic School Biennial Gala 2019
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation is proud to be a Platinum Sponsor for the St. Pius X Catholic School Biennial Gala, Securing Out Future, held on March 9, 2019. The Biennial Gala honored the Inaugural Comet Heritage Award recipients. The award distinguishes the best of the St. Pius X Catholic School Family in supporting its school, our students, and our staff. The Honorees included Tom Martin and Warren & Betty Corgan. Proceeds of the Biennial Gala go directly to increasing student safety, security, and well-being at St. Pius X Catholic School.
DeJoy-Wos Scholars – Class of 2025
Dr. Aldona Woś and Nikki Haley at the 2019-2020 Elon University Speaker Series – September 27, 2019
Elon University – Elon, NC
Elon University is a private university renowned as a national model for engaged and experiential learning. Students work closely with faculty who are dedicated to excellent teaching and scholarship. The curriculum is grounded in the traditional liberal arts and sciences and complemented by nationally accredited professional and graduate programs.
The university’s seven schools serve a selective student body of nearly 7,000. Elon is one of only seven private universities in the country with accredited schools of business, communications, education, law and health sciences, plus a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa, the nation’s oldest and most prestigious academic honor society.
The DeJoy-Wos Odyssey Scholars Endowment:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation’s major gift to establish the DeJoy-Wos Odyssey Scholars Endowment was announced by Elon President Connie Ledoux Book during her inauguration as the university’s ninth president in October 2018.
The DeJoy-Wos Odyssey Scholars Endowment established in 2018 provides full scholarships to four highly motivated students from Title I schools in Guilford County each year initially, with that number growing up to 12 full scholarships a year in the near future. The endowment forms a collaboration that includes the DeJoy\Wos Family Foundation, Elon’s Odyssey Program and Martha and Spencer Love School of Business, and the United Way of Greater Greensboro to identify students in Guilford County Title I schools for these scholarships. See News Release, Elon’s Website announcement and Elon News Network
In March 2022, the Foundation made a second endowment gift, bringing the total number of scholarships to 16. The first two DeJoy-Wos Odyssey Scholars are enrolled in Elon’s Class of 2025. See News Release and Elon’s Website announcement
Scholarship selections are made from students who are eager to participate in Elon’s brand of high-impact learning and who would be unable to enroll without financial assistance. Each scholar will be part of Elon’s successful Odyssey Program, a highly selective program for students with great promise and significant financial need, including many who are the first in their families to attend college.
International Studies:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation has endowed scholarship funding for Elon’s international studies major. Elon’s international studies major is an interdisciplinary program that combines a broad knowledge of international affairs with focused study of one region of the world.
Balancing study abroad experiences, foreign language study and other Elon coursework, the program fosters an understanding of emerging global issues along with respect and appreciation for other peoples and cultures. The program provides international studies majors with the necessary skills to succeed in graduate school or careers in government, business, travel and nongovernmental organizations.
2019-2020 Speaker Series:
During Elon University’s Fall Convocation and the first event of the 2019-2020 Speaker Series, former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations and former South Carolina governor, Nikki Haley was the featured speaker and offered remarks followed by a question-and-answer session moderated by Dr. Aldona Woś, the former U.S. ambassador to Estonia. The theme running throughout the series is the quest for truth, an idea that Haley zeroed in on during the close of her discussion with Woś.
Haley said she learned to focus on the similarities between people, not the differences. It was a lesson she said she would later lean upon as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations as she looked to find common ground while promoting the country’s values and interests.
“With freedom of expression, especially on college campuses, instead of yelling at each other for being wrong, ask them why they think the way they do, and have that conversation,” Haley said. “You will become a smarter, more intelligent person when you understand both sides of an argument and when you respect it.”
Select the following links to view:
Today at Elon News
News Release
Numen Lumen Pavilion:
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation supported the construction of The Numen Lumen Pavilion at Elon University. In March 2013, Elon opened the new multi-faith center in the Academic Village. The Numen Lumen Pavilion is a place for prayer, meditation and reflection in the heart of campus, respecting the differing customs of students’ religious and spiritual traditions. The multi-faith center provides an environment for robust dialogue about religion on campus, exploring what unites us in our common humanity and promoting the values served by deeper interfaith collaboration.
The Numen Lumen Pavilion houses the Vera Richardson Truitt Center for Religious and Spiritual Life and the Center for the Study of Religion, Culture and Society. A circular Sacred Space with a soaring roof is the location for Elon’s weekly Numen Lumen community gatherings. Adjacent to the Sacred Space is the Richard McBride Gathering Space, a place for receptions, meals, meetings and discussion forums. The second floor includes a social space called Oasis, a prayer room, meditation room, library, study room and classroom. Outside is The Terrace and the Meditation Garden with benches and a Kugel ball fountain.
The Numen Lumen Pavilion is open to the public 7-days per week.
Episcopal High School – Alexandria, VA
In 2012, the DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation established The DeJoy Family Scholarship to provide funding for North Carolina students to attend Episcopal High School, a private boarding school located in Alexandria, Virginia.
In 2019, the Foundation committed to an additional 4-years of endowed scholarship funding, which also includes donations by the DeJoy children, Ania and Andrew, who are Episcopal High School alumni (class of 2014).
The Episcopal High School 130-acre campus houses 440 students from 31 states, the District of Columbia and 17 different countries. The school was founded in 1839, and is the only all-boarding school of its caliber located in a major metropolitan area of the United States.
From left: UNC Pembroke chancellor Robin Cummings, Dr. Aldona Woś and Louis DeJoy – October 5, 2016
The University of North Carolina at Pembroke
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation has provided scholarship funding and support to UNC Pembroke’s School of Business. In 2021, the foundation made an additional contribution to the University.
UNC Pembroke is a public, co-educational, historically American Indian liberal arts university in the town of Pembroke in Robeson County, NC. UNC Pembroke is a master’s level degree-granting university and one of 17 schools that constitute the University of North Carolina system.
Ashbrook Center at Ashland University
Since 2017, the DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation has supported the initiatives of the Ashbrook Center, an independent center at Ashland University, focused on restoring and strengthening the capacities of the American people for constitutional self-government.
Ashbrook has demonstrated an extraordinary track record of success by building and refining a series of high-quality programs that impact teachers, students, and citizens. Through the use of great books and original historical documents, Ashbrook teaches students across our country what America is and what America represents in the long history of the world.
At the heart of the Ashbrook Center’s work is the Ashbrook Scholar Program, a top-rated academic program for a select group of undergraduate students majoring or minoring in Political Science, History, or Political Economy at Ashland University.
Ashbrook Scholars study with some of the finest faculty in the nation and undertake a program of courses and activities that challenge their mettle and bring out the best qualities of their character. It is a rigorous program for serious, public-spirited students with a passion for civic leadership.
Our Lady of Mercy
Our Lady of Mercy Academy is located in Nassau County, New York, and is a leading Catholic all-girls secondary education option in the county. For over 93 years, OLMA has had a proud history of superior education for aspiring young Catholic women. Dr. Aldona Woś graduated from Our Lady of Mercy Academy in 1973.
In 2021, the DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation contributed $300,000 to Our Lady of Mercy Academy to create the Dr. Aldona Woś ’73 Scholarship as part of their Towering to New Heights – Fortifying our Legacy capital campaign. The scholarship will be awarded on an annual basis.
iCivics
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation made a 10-year pledge in 2015 to support iCivics, which exists to engage students in meaningful civic learning. They provide civics teachers well-written, inventive, and free resources that enhance their practice and inspire their classrooms. iCivics’ mission is to ensure every student receives a high-quality civic education, and becomes engaged in – and beyond – the classroom.
This is why, after serving 25 years on the bench of the Supreme Court, Justice Sandra Day O’Connor founded iCivics in 2009: to restore civic education in our nation’s schools. Today, iCivics is a large and enthusiastic community of educators, spanning 50 states. iCivics is used by over 150,000 teacher-users. More than 5 million students benefit from their resources each year and they are now the largest provider of civics curriculum in the nation.
Most importantly, iCivics resources are completely free. “We want all students to receive good civic education, regardless of geography or income. We believe free and high-quality digital resources help equalize the educational playing field.”
The Patriot Foundation
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation is proud to continue its contributions to the Patriot Foundation which supports the families of Airborne, Air Assault and Special Operations soldiers, and other selected warriors killed, wounded, injured, or who have become seriously ill in the Global War on Terrorism.
Founded in 2003, the Patriot Foundation has provided more than 1,800 college scholarships for children of killed, wounded or injured soldiers. Additionally, the foundation provides funding for child care for the families of fallen and disabled soldiers whose surviving spouses need to obtain additional job training and development.
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation continued its support of the Patriot Foundation in 2019 and sponsored their 17th Annual Soldiers Appreciation Dinner held on September 21, 2019 at Pinehurst Resort Carolina Hotel in Pinehurst, North Carolina.
See News Release
2019 DeJoy-Wos Family Foundation Scholarship Recipients
Eastern Music Festival
The DEJOY\WOS Family Foundation has been a proud supporter of the Eastern Music Festival’s (EMF) scholarship fund since 2016. The EMF fund provides scholarship assistance to North Carolina musicians, ages 14 to 23. EMF is committed to providing exemplary musical education, producing engaging concerts, and serving as a cornerstone artistic and cultural institution in the Triad.
More than 80% of EMF’s young artists are supported through full or partial scholarships each summer. These scholarship funds help EMF provide the educational and artistic training that propels young artists to new levels of achievement.
The foundation’s 2019 gift to EMF provides scholarship assistance to 13 North Carolina musicians (see EMF News Release) and is a tribute to the festival’s long-standing commitment to educational excellence, a passion shared by the DeJoy/Wos family. It helps reaffirm EMF’s commitment to music education in North Carolina, and it expands their class of well-prepared and motivated young learners this summer.