Dr. Thomas Finley and Rosemary Finley Endowed Scholarship

Purpose:
The Fund is established to provide scholarships to recognize and award scholastic achievement, encourage continued progress, and provide assistance to students in financing their education in the University’s Department of Chemistry.

Third-generation native Coloradans, Dr. Thomas Finley and his wife, Rosemary, were both raised in the Denver metropolitan area – Thomas in Park Hill and Rosemary in Littleton. After graduating from East Denver High School, Thomas initially enrolled at the University of Colorado Boulder in 1966. However, the overwhelming class sizes and lack of direction led to a loss of academic focus. He eventually found his footing at the Community College of Denver, where he earned an associate degree in Architectural Technology, becoming the first member of his immediate family to graduate from college.

While working as a draftsman for a prestigious Denver firm, Thomas realized architecture was not the career path he truly desired. Drawn to the precision, art, and science inherent in dentistry, he decided to test his academic resolve by enrolling at Metropolitan State University of Denver (then Metropolitan State College). Balancing a mortgage and a 24-hour work week at age 28, Thomas excelled in this “academic niche,” graduating magna cum laude in just three years with double majors in chemistry and biology.

This success served as his launching pad. Out of 600 applicants, Thomas was one of only 25 students selected for the University of Colorado School of Dentistry. The following four years were a period of extreme sacrifice. While he tackled grueling 28-credit-hour semesters and continued working, Rosemary served as the primary breadwinner by working night shifts. Their schedules were so demanding that they often lived in the same house for weeks without seeing one another. Thomas completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery in 1981 at age 32, playfully awarding Rosemary an honorary “Ph.T.” degree for “Putting Hubby Through.”

Thomas’ dental career spanned 40 years and included private practice, clinical teaching, and positions at a major university and a maximum-security prison. Looking back, he credits Metro for providing the “Roadrunner” spirit—the endurance and dedication to never give up when facing the challenges of life. Now, he and Rosemary wish to give back by establishing a scholarship endowment, hoping to provide future students with the same transformational opportunity Thomas found at Metro.

Criteria:
The scholarship recipient shall:
• Be meeting the University’s Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements and not be in default or owe any refund/repayment of federal, state or institutional aid.
• Have financial need as determined by FAFSA/CASFA and the University’s Office of Financial Aid and Scholarships.
• Be enrolled in 12 or more credit hours during the semester the award is received.
• Maintain a grade point average of 3.20 or higher.
• Be pursuing a degree in Chemistry.
• Be a Colorado resident.
• Be the first member of their immediate family to attend an institution of higher education (college or university).
• Essay question: As a student balancing family responsibility, how have your personal relationships influenced your academic journey? Describe why chemistry is important to you—whether in your studies, your career goals, or your personal life—and how these two aspects intersect to shape your future.

There is a preference to provide scholarships in the amount of $1,000 (or greater if funding allows) for each $25,000 increment increase in the Fund’s value.

Once the Fund balance reaches $100,000 or greater, the preference is to provide four (4) recipients to represent each grade level (freshman, sophomore, junior, senior) if possible. If students from all grade levels cannot be identified, the scholarship may still be awarded to four eligible students regardless of grade level.