By David Nathan

Nancy Zigo Bush '64 earned an associate's degree and something of even more value at Lasell: self-confidence.

The scholarship student from rural Butler, New Jersey, flourished in and out of the classroom and developed the attitude that she could accomplish whatever she wanted.

“Everybody at Lasell helped me succeed,” Bush remembers. “The care they took with each student was remarkable.”

She looks back fondly on her days learning from dedicated teachers, playing bridge in Bragdon Hall, chairing the University’s Building Fund, serving on the student executive council, leading campus tours as a member of the Blue Key Society, and singing with the chorale.

As a way of giving back to an institution that provided her the capability to succeed in her career in business, Nancy recently made a generous gift to create a scholarship in her name. She had included Lasell in her estate, but when she learned that her longtime employer, Steelcase, would match the gift dollar-for-dollar if she made it during her lifetime, she opted to fund the scholarship immediately.

“What I love about establishing the scholarship is the joy of making an impact on students,” Bush says. “I want them to have the same positive experience that I did.”

Bush’s self-described “chutzpah” surfaced after she joined Rapidata as an administrative assistant to the chief financial officer in the early 1970s. Shortly thereafter, the company hired her as a facilities manager to create appropriate working environments for employees.

“I told my boss that I could do the job even though I had no experience in that area,” Bush remembers. “I knew I had the brains and the guts to do anything.”

In her new position, Bush managed another building at company headquarters and 14 satellite offices around the country, this time with her own staff. After 14 years there, she joined a Steelcase office furniture dealership as the first female vice president of sales in the New York metro area. Ten years later, she joined the Steelcase Corporation in the New Jersey regional office.

“Lasell had a great impact on my life,” Bush says. “I have taken great pride in watching Lasell grow."