Oglethorpe University is honored to announce the establishment of the Panditaratne Housing Scholarship Endowment, a generous endowment created by alumna Harsinie Panditaratne ’01 dedicated to supporting current students facing financial challenges related to housing. The $100,000 endowment gift will provide a yearly $5,000 housing scholarship for an incoming full-time student who has demonstrated financial need and a desire to live on campus.

“Harsinie’s desire to honor her family in this way while giving back to Oglethorpe is admirable,” says Sarah Emerson, vice president of advancement. “This housing scholarship will make a tremendous difference for our students now and in the future.”

Panditaratne was inspired to establish this scholarship fund to celebrate her parents, Mr. Eardley and Mrs. Valerie Panditaratne, on their 51st wedding anniversary.  She says she wanted to honor them with something that would live beyond herself and chose Oglethorpe because it was an extension of the happy and nurturing environment that her parents provided to her growing up.

Known for their unwavering commitment to family, charity, and community service, the Panditaratnes have inspired their daughter through a lifetime of generosity, often giving to others even when they faced their own struggles. The values her parents instilled in her—the importance of a happy home, charity, and civic duty—are at the heart of this scholarship, she says.

Harsinie Panditaratne ’01 with her family

“Giving back is simply a way of life with my parents. They are just selfless people who never think twice about helping friends, family or even strangers,” says Harsinie. “They would always respond that it’s our duty to help others… I am certainly not as kind or generous as my parents, but I think that sense of duty rubbed off on me.”

Reflecting on her own experience at Oglethorpe, Panditaratne recalls living on campus as a special way to immerse oneself in college life, and she served as a residence assistant (RA) in her last two years—forging bonds with other students that helped provide a sense of independence while enjoying the safety of campus. It’s this residential component of the housing scholarship she hopes will enable students to experience the same kind of supportive community in their own educational journey.

“I hope that the recipients will be able to enjoy campus life without worrying about excess debt,” says Panditaratne. “I also hope this example encourages other alumni and students to give back to the OU community. One of the beauties of OU is that so many students can graduate with no debt or very low debt.  We cannot continue that incredible legacy without alumni contributions.”

Panditaratne, who double-majored in political science and English at Oglethorpe, went on to earn her Juris Doctorate from Temple University Beasley School of Law and is the founding member of HP Law, a boutique firm specializing in Workers’ Compensation. A leader in her field, she is also a nationally sought-after lecturer, a trustee on the Philadelphia Bar Foundation’s Board of Trustees, and an adjunct professor at Drexel University Law School.

As a student at Oglethorpe, Panditaratne was an Oxford Scholarship recipient, and at 18 years old, she made a vow to repay those scholarship dollars to OU.

“I think I fulfilled it a few years ago, but giving back a little more made sense!”

This new scholarship is just one of the ways Panditaratne has remained engaged with Oglethorpe since graduation. Her involvement through alumni/student mentor programs, events and other initiatives has kept her connected, and she sees the value in this continued connection and opportunity to give back.

“It has helped me fulfill my duty to OU for providing me with such a happy and wonderful experience.  I use the word ‘duty’ not as a synonym for ‘chore’ or ‘obligation,’ but as a synonym for ‘calling’ or ‘joyful mission,’” she says. “Growing up, my dad would say that he ‘fulfilled his duty’ and that would make him happy.  That is the value I get from staying connected to Oglethorpe – the happiness from fulfilling my duty.”