A billionaire gifted them each a surprise $1,000. How these Bridgewater State grads kept their pledge to donate half 

Local billionaire Rob Hale is like the Oprah of graduation ceremonies in Massachusetts.

Each year, he stuns graduates of public universities with unexpected $1,000 gifts. He does, however, dole out the cash with a caveat: that students promise to give away half the money to any cause or person of their choosing who might be in need.

In May, the Granite Telecommunications CEO and co-founder brought his surprise philanthropy to graduates at Bridgewater State University, where almost half the population are the first in their families to attend college and nearly a third are students of color.

At their commencement at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Hale told the grads “the turmoil in our country has increased the need for caring, sharing and compassion."

"Our community needs — needs — your help, your leadership and your empathy more than ever," he said.

As the new graduates faced a downtrodden job market, often while saddled with high student debt, many thought carefully about how to make the most of gifting their gifted dollars.

Some found charitable organizations close to their heart. Others, like early education majors about to step into teacher jobs, used the money on classroom supplies for their students. Bridgewater State has a popular teacher-training pathway that pairs students with nearby schools.

Genna Symonds, 24, donated half of her cash gift to Northeast Arc, an organization providing services to individuals with disabilities. The criminal justice major was working part-time for the nonprofit this summer.

“ There were some pretty significant federal funding cuts right around the time of my graduation,” Symonds said. “A lot of the people they serve, they rely on that federal funding. I really wanted to contribute to that.”

Her $500 donation helped support Northeast Arc’s annual “Run, Walk, and Roll for Inclusion” in Lynnfield, which raised more than $50,000 this September, said Dianne Powers, chief development officer for the organization.

"Everyone at Northeast Arc is so thankful to the more than 300 people, like Genna, who supported our 'Run, Walk and Roll for Inclusion,' " Powers said.

Chigozie Adigwe, 22, who this fall began graduate studies in cybersecurity and justice at Bridgewater State, donated to both the track team at his old school, the K-8 Lowell Community Charter Public School, and also to Aaron’s Presents, an organization that supports youth service projects.

“It felt great to give back to a place that took care of me and to support kids that are in the position that I used to be in,” Adigwe said.

Leah Okimoto, founder and executive director of the Andover-based organization, said Adigwe's contribution provided support to two young adults facing hardship who were in need of clothing and food.

“I was so touched when (Adigwe) told me he had received the gift and wanted to give some to us to use to help someone,” Okimoto said. "He has such a big heart, and the fact that he thought of us and wanted to share this big moment with us meant a lot."

"It felt great to give back to a place that took care of me and to support kids that are in the position that I used to be in."

Chigozie Adigwe

Four years ago, Hale started his ritual of giving money out to graduates, starting at Quincy College in 2021. He’s since surprised students at Roxbury Community College, UMass Boston and UMass Dartmouth. The well-known philanthropist recently gave $100 million to Boston Children’s Hospital and told "Leaders Magazine" in October he hoped to pass on the spirit of philanthropy to students.

“These are students who are busting their butts to earn a diploma, and I am so proud to be able to support them,” he told the outlet.

“When you look at the backdrop of who these kids are, many of them have most likely not had the chance to do this before,” he added.

Hale did not respond to requests for comment.

Other Bridgewater graduates said the money helped them pay back student loans.

Marvell Nicholson, 24, who studied business and marketing, said he owes tens of thousands of dollars after taking out several loans to fund his education. He has since joined the Marine Corps Reserve and hopes to eventually go "the marketing route" for a career, but for now is leaning toward the military or law enforcement.

At first, Nicholson thought about spending some of the cash on a new tattoo. “But then I was like, let's make a smart decision here,” he said. He said he put the money right into his loans with the highest interest rates.

"I put it in the bank a couple days after (commencement), and there it went," he said. He said Hale's gift was "inspiring" and "definitely opened my eyes."

"I hope I can get to that point someday in my life," he said.

Kendell French, 25, who studied aviation science at Bridgewater and aims to become a flight instructor, came to Boston in 2017 as a high schooler after hurricanes devastated his home of St. Croix in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

He remembers watching large commercial and military aircraft as a child and wanting one day to be up in the air, too.

"As a child, I would tell my professors and my teachers like, hey, one day I'm going to do that," he recalled.

Weighing his college options after graduating from the Henderson Inclusion School in Dorchester, French said, “ Bridgewater captured my eyes, especially with the aviation program,” adding the school helped him reach “my dream to become a pilot.”

French, who has his commercial flight license, used half the gift to charter a small aircraft to create content for his YouTube channel where he posts videos of flying with family members. "If I can show people what it's like for me and they see people like me — like I don't look like a pilot — that would motivate people, they can do this," he said.

He's thinking of a plan to use the other half to try and set up a scholarship for kids back home so they can learn what it's like to fly.

‘There’s not that much people like me in my classroom — and even in the pilot industry, it's very limited,” French said. " I think it would be pretty cool for students in the Virgin Islands to have that experience."