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Something My Dad Would’ve Done By Brittany Kenney
Opportunities are often circumstances that require us to choose a path. But what happens when the opportunities we often take for granted—those to learn, excel, and create a fulfilling life—are not available? Ibrahim El-Hefni’s foundation has spent decades addressing issues of inequity in education, especially for students of color, and has provided countless opportunities to access the educational experiences they need and deserve. From Humble Beginnings a Philanthropist Is Born Born in 1927 as one of seven children in a rural village in Egypt, Ibrahim El-Hefni took full advantage of a rare opportunity, defied the odds, and became a successful entrepreneur and philanthropist. After his father died and they lost their farm, Ibrahim’s family had few resources and could only afford to send one child to school. Ibrahim was given the opportunity— and he took it. Earning a bachelor’s degree in engineering from Cairo University and a master’s and Ph.D. from Sheffield University in electrical engineering, Ibrahim worked hard and was able to pull his family out of poverty. While in England earning his advanced degrees, he met a nurse named Wensley. They married and moved to the U.S. in 1960 so Ibrahim could take a job at MIT’s Lincoln Labs. A few years later with a $2,000 investment, Ibrahim started an engineering company out of his basement in North Andover, Mass., which he grew into a multi-million dollar business that is still thriving today. Ibrahim credited his education as the catalyst to achieve success in life, and he wanted to make sure other young immigrants and people of color 28
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received that same opportunity. In the 1980s, he established a foundation that for decades anonymously gave full college scholarships to marginalized students in the Lawrence, Mass., area. His daughter Suzanne Wright P’22 said, “Dad always thought that children from underserved communities getting straight As could get a scholarship to Harvard. But if you were a B or C student working every afternoon and weekend to help support your family, you’d be overlooked. So he really focused on those students.” Fulfilling Her Father’s Legacy of Decency and Generosity After his death in 2005, Suzanne and her mom began carrying on Ibrahim’s philanthropic legacy. Suzanne, who was a litigator in Los Angeles and professor at UCLA, brought new perspectives to the foundation. As a professor she had seen firsthand how many students of color started out in her classes at a disadvantage. “After the first semester, some of these students were pulled out of my classes and put into remedial classes because they had a substandard education before getting into college,” she said. “It was
Clockwise from top: Ibrahim El-Hefni receives his Ph.D. from Sheffield University in 1958, Jack Wright ‘22, Suzanne Wright P’22, and Wensley El-Hefni GP’22 in 2021 in Nevada; Ibrahim and Wensley on a visit to Egypt; Ibrahim with workmates in England in the late 1950s.
FALL 2021/WINTER 2022
