The Angela Scimone Vitale ’75 Endowed Scholarship in Early Childhood Education | Kean University Foundation

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The Kean University Foundation has established the Angela Scimone Vitale ’75 Endowed Scholarship in Early Childhood Education. The funding for this scholarship comes from a generous gift from Thomas Vitale, John Vitale and Gary Vitale. This scholarship honors their mother’s legacy as a Kean alumna whose determination helped her achieve her goal of earning a bachelor’s degree in early childhood education.

Angela Scimone Vitale ’75 enrolled at Kean when she was 40 years old and actively raising her four young sons. Returning to school was difficult, but she was determined to achieve her goal of a teaching career later in life.

More than 50 years after her graduation from Kean, and following her passing, Angela’s sons reflected on their mother’s life and the values she instilled in them. They choose to honor her memory in a meaningful and lasting way through a $75,000 gift establishing the Angela Scimone Vitale ’75 Endowed Scholarship.

“Education is paramount to personal growth. Our mother believed it was never too late to follow your dreams,” Thomas Vitale said. “Creating this scholarship is the perfect way to honor her and to help others do the same.”

This scholarship will support students ages 30 and older who are pursuing careers in early childhood education which represents Angela Scimone Vitale’s own experience as a non-traditional student.

Angela grew up in Brooklyn, where she met her husband O. Fred Vitale and began her career as an administrative assistant before the couple settled in New Jersey.

After earning her bachelor’s degree in early childhood education from Kean in 1975, she went on to complete her teaching certification at Montclair State University and dedicated her career to helping students succeed. She served 16 years as a Title I Resource Teacher for the Glen Ridge Board of Education and later spent 17 years as an ESL instructor at Montclair State University.

Through this gift, Angela’s legacy of learning continues. This scholarship will enable future educators to find their own path forward.

©2026 Kean University Foundation. All rights reserved. Registered 501(c)(3). EIN: 22-2849480

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May 2021