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It was an emotional and heartfelt tribute, as family, friends, faculty and staff gathered on April 12 to commemorate Classroom 314 in the Feliciano School of Business as the Mark and Mike Ben-Hayon Classroom.

The naming marks the generosity of Ellan ’96 and Erin Ben-Hayon, who established a scholarship in memory of Ellan’s deceased brothers, Gerald “Mark” and Michael. Ellan, who serves on the Feliciano School of Business and the Finance Department advisory boards, graduated with a bachelor’s in Accounting and currently serves as chief financial officer of Bansk Group, LLC.

“Thank you for joining us for this meaningful occasion to celebrate philanthropy, leadership and the transformative power of education at ��Ʒ���˸������� University,” said Rita L. Walters, vice president for Development and Alumni Engagement in her welcome. “The University and the Feliciano School of Business stand as beacons of social mobility, empowering our students and their families to ascend to new heights… their success is a testament to the solid foundation provided by our outstanding faculty and visionary supporters like Ellan and Erin.”

“Montclair was the right choice for me as a student, and I wanted to get involved and contribute to improving students’ lives,” said Ben-Hayon. “Creating this scholarship gave purpose to my giving … It has been very fulfilling to partner with the University to honor my brothers and give back to help students in a meaningful way.”

Joining Ellan in the dedication were his mother Paula, wife Erin and son Jake, along with some of his brothers’ closest friends. A number of Feliciano School of Business faculty and staff members attended as well.

Betsy Rosini, associate dean for Graduate and Continuing Education at the Feliciano School of Business, thanked Ben-Hayon for his service and generous support, including his involvement in building the next generation of business leaders through mentoring and the Red Hawk Student Managed Investment Fund. “This scholarship is the first one endowed for Finance students, and it will be put to good use for our students as they prepare for successful careers,” Rosini said.

The Mark and Mike Ben-Hayon Endowed Scholarship provides scholarship support to undergraduate students majoring in Finance who demonstrate financial need and merit.

As tribute to their family’s legacy, the Ben-Hayons’ hope is for the scholarship support to inspire students to continually pursue education as a path to personal growth and development as well as to successful and gratifying careers.

Past recipients of the scholarship shared their thanks with the Ben-Hayon family through personal letters.

“This financial support helped me in so many ways… and gave me the opportunity to focus on the next step in my professional journey,” said Julianne O’Halloran, a senior graduating in May.

Megan Biehler ’23, who obtained a full-time position as an investment analyst at Prudential Private Capital in Dallas, shared: “This opportunity would not have been possible without your support. Thank you for funding this scholarship and for assisting ��Ʒ���˸������� University students.”

“Philanthropy at its core is about creating opportunities that change lives,” said Walters. “We are immensely thankful for the enduring legacy of this scholarship, which offers life-changing opportunities to many future leaders.”

“It is an honor to know that we are touching students’ lives and helping them … and that Mark and Mike’s names will live on in the minds and hearts of the generations of students who will benefit from the scholarship and walk through these classroom doors,” said Ben-Hayon.

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