Thomas Kaercher '77 Builds a Bridge to Tomorrow for Kean Students

Thomas Kaercher '77, discovered a poem in his early twenties that has left a lasting impression on his life and has inspired a philanthropic gift that will have a permanent impact on the students at Kean today, and endure forever.
"The Bridge Builder" written by Will Allen Dromgoole is a timeless piece of poetry which spoke to Tom in a profound way and remained with him as a source of inspiration throughout his life.
This epic poem tells the story of an old man who is nearing the end of his life's journey when he comes across a deep chasm with a river below. Although the old man had already crossed the river and made it safely to the other side, he is wise enough to know that he would not be the last to cross this challenging path. He knows that a bridge must be built for those who will need to cross after he is long gone. Building the bridge takes effort, but he knows that his work is important since it will serve as a lifeline for future generations who must also cross the same path.
Tom was inspired to build his own metaphorical bridge by establishing a scholarship fund for students at Kean University this past spring. The Kaercher 'Bridge Builder' Annual Scholarship will support high achieving students with financial need. The first annual award will be granted this year and will be further endowed through a bequest in Tom's estate plans.
"I was deeply moved by the self-less altruism of the old man in the poem. Once he had successfully crossed the dangerous chasm, he took the time to build the bridge so that young people, whom he would never meet, would have a way to cross when they encountered the same obstacle," says Kaercher.
Kaercher added, "I knew then, when I read it in my early twenties, that I would like to do something similar for others when I was in a position to do so."
"A living testament to the power of one individual's determination to make a difference in the world, Tom is a great inspiration to his fellow alumni and our students today. This remarkably generous gift will have a significant impact on the lives of countless individuals and help to shape the future of education at Kean University." says Lori Funicello, Director of Planned Giving.
In closing Tom added, "I have been blessed with many advantages in life; family, education, and career. I am very happy to have the resources to set up a scholarship that will continue to help others long after I live. And I am grateful to the Kean University Foundation for their help in making that possible now while I am alive and can enjoy the satisfaction of meeting the scholarship recipients."
The Bridge Builder
By Will Allen Dromgoole
An old man going a lone highway,
Came, at the evening cold and gray,
To a chasm vast and deep and wide.
Through which was flowing a sullen tide
The old man crossed in the twilight dim,
The sullen stream had no fear for him;
But he turned when safe on the other side
And built a bridge to span the tide.
"Old man," said a fellow pilgrim near,
"You are wasting your strength with building here;
Your journey will end with the ending day,
You never again will pass this way;
You've crossed the chasm, deep and wide,
Why build this bridge at evening tide?"
The builder lifted his old gray head;
"Good friend, in the path I have come," he said,
"There followed after me to-day
A youth whose feet must pass this way.
This chasm that has been as naught to me
To that fair-haired youth may a pitfall be;
He, too, must cross in the twilight dim;
Good friend, I am building this bridge for him!"