The Lee Family Scholarship reflects one couple’s belief in education’s power to transform lives. 

For Nyssa and Chris Lee 00C, education is a force that can transform a life, a family and a community. That belief inspired them to create the Lee Family Scholarship, an endowed fund at Emory College of Arts and Sciences

“Educational access is one of the great equalizers,” Chris Lee says. “It changes the trajectory not just of a person’s life, but their entire family.” 

Both Chris and Nyssa are the children of first-generation college graduates, and they have seen higher education open doors. They chose to endow their scholarship for one reason: permanence. An endowed gift creates lasting impact, funding students year after year. 

The Lee Family Scholarship gives preference to graduates of Sponsors for Educational Opportunity, a program Chris supports as a board member. The program prepares public high school students for success at top colleges.

One of those students is Fendy Santos 26B. A Bronx native, Santos was awarded the Lee Family Scholarship his first year at Emory. 

He recalls meeting Chris over Zoom and feeling an immediate connection. Later, he discovered they shared a bond as members of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity.

“Knowing someone was willing to invest in my journey meant so much,” Santos says. “It wasn’t just financial support. It was knowing someone believed in me and wanted to see me succeed.”

The scholarship covered most of his tuition, lifting a heavy burden from his mother and giving him freedom to explore opportunities — from securing the technology he needed for his coursework to accepting a summer internship at Bloomberg in New York.

Chris hopes students like Santos will use their Emory education to find meaningful work, make a positive difference in their communities and eventually pay it forward. 

Learn how planned giving can make a huge impact on the lives of Emory students.
“I tell alumni, give earlier than you think you can,” Chris says. “The impact compounds. You’re not just helping one student; you’re helping everyone they go on to influence.”

For Santos, that ripple effect is already in motion. “This scholarship allowed me to live more comfortably, invest in myself and really maximize my college experience,” he says. “I want to do the same for someone else one day.”