Dadez-Leitch Endowed Scholarship

Why did you choose to create a scholarship at Saint Leo University?
Terry and I (Ed Dadez) created the scholarship for two reasons. 1) To honor my mother who would have loved to go to college, but did not have the funds to do so when she graduated from high school. As a military spouse, she raised six children and did as much as she could to ensure each child grew up to be successful with good values. 2) As the former Vice President for Continuing Education and Student Services, it was apparent to me that for the spouse of someone in the military, they find themselves trying to balance the demands of being a spouse, working, and taking classes. We felt that creation of the scholarship was one way we could assist them.

What would you want the recipients to know about the person for whom this scholarship is named?
We would want the recipient to know Dorothy Elaine Dadez was a loving, caring person who always believed in helping others even if she did not have much to give. She was always there to listen, to care, and to love. She is dearly missed.

What is favorite Saint Leo story, tradition, or what Saint Leo has meant to you?
There are too many to share, but my favorite is that our two sons have their undergraduate and graduate degrees from Saint Leo. In addition, two of my brothers (graduate), sister-in-law, daughter-in-law, nephew, niece, and I (graduate) have Saint Leo degrees. Terry is currently working on her master’s degree. We believe in a Saint Leo University education and our core values.

What do you hope recipients gain through this scholarship support?
We hope the recipient will complete his/her degree and be successful in all he/she endeavors. We also hope that if the situation presents itself where and when he/she could do the same for someone else who is in need of assistance. Paying it forward should be something that all of us should strive to do.