Hobart and William Smith Colleges

15 November 2024 Stephen Wong ’89 Commits $1M to Support International Scholarships By Andrew Wickenden '09

HWS Trustee Stephen Wong ’89 establishes endowed scholarship to support international student representation and encourage cross-cultural exchange.

With a $1 million commitment to “Further Together: The Campaign for Our Third Century,” HWS Trustee Stephen Wong ’89 will fund an endowed scholarship that he hopes will offer the entire student body a strong global perspective.

“You would be surprised at what you learn ‘on the road’ outside of America’s borders and outside your comfort zone. And what you learn from your fellow classmates who are from abroad.” Stephen Wong '89

“When I was teenager, my parents moved from the San Francisco Bay Area, where my father practiced as a neurosurgeon, back to Hong Kong. Part of the reason for the relocation was that my parents wanted me to learn, absorb and appreciate the languages, culture and nuances of the Far East. They firmly believed that experiencing life and adopting perspectives from both the West and Far East would be edifying for my future, from a personal and professional standpoint. Now in my late 50s, I look back at that decision as the single most important foundation and catalyst of my entire life,” Wong says.

The Stephen T.C. Wong ’89 Endowed International Scholarship will provide support to students with demonstrated academic qualifications and financial needs, particularly students from East Asia.

“I am grateful for the leadership and support of Stephen Wong ’89, who recognizes the importance of cultivating a campus where global engagement is woven into the fabric of our community,” says President Mark D. Gearan. “As we educate students to lead in the 21st century, we must ensure they have the experiences and perspectives to communicate and connect across cultures and borders. This generous gift will provide vital resources to help HWS attract the most talented students from around the world and deliver a rich, multifaceted education that will serve our graduates in the lives and careers.”

A longtime senior investment banking executive, Wong spent over 19 years with Goldman Sachs and six years at Morgan Stanely, working in international settings — in the U.S., throughout the Asia Pacific region and across other parts of the world.

“International experience and knowledge have become the norm as opposed to the exception — a ‘must have,’ not a ‘nice to have,’” Wong explains. “You would be surprised at what you learn ‘on the road’ outside of America’s borders and outside your comfort zone. And what you learn from your fellow classmates who are from abroad.”

A diverse student body, Wong says, means that the “backgrounds, experiences, viewpoints and perspectives shared in the classrooms, on the athletic fields, in the gym and cafeteria” better reflect the world into which students will graduate.

“I strongly believe that international students will significantly add fresh perspectives to the curriculum and on-campus dialogues and debates because they will see topics through a completely different lens,” he explains. “It is my sincere hope that this international student scholarship will serve as an important catalyst to help enrich further our overall curriculum and HWS community. I also hope it will help the Colleges’ efforts to tell its compelling story internationally in order to attract the most talented students from abroad.”

Scholarship is a key pillar of “Further Together: The Campaign for our Third Century.” With a goal of raising $145 million for financial aid, HWS will be in a strong position to attract and retain the most gifted and promising scholars, athletes, artists and leaders, regardless of their financial circumstances, and to allow them to graduate and enter the workforce without the burden of excessive debt.

“In order for our beloved Hobart and William Smith Colleges to continue on the path of excellence and truly prepare its student body for the journey ahead and for an increasingly complex world, international student representation is vital to the HWS community,” Wong says.

Currently a managing partner at an early-stage venture capital firm in Silicon Valley, Valley Capital Partners, Wong also serves on the Board of Directors of Techtronic Industries (TTI) as an independent non-executive director. He previously served as a managing director and chairman of Investment Banking for Hong Kong and co-head of the real estate group in Asia for Goldman Sachs. He joined Goldman Sachs in 2005 and led the firm’s coverage of some of the most prominent clients in Asia and the U.S., including global financial sponsor firms and leading companies within the largest industry sectors. He also helped build the leading market share for the firm’s franchises in Hong Kong, China, technology and real estate investment banking in Asia. In 2020, Wong received the firm’s prestigious John L. Weinberg Award. Previously, he was an executive director and chief of staff of the Asia Equity Capital Markets Group at Morgan Stanley in Hong Kong.

A life-long collector and one of the world’s foremost authorities on baseball history and its collectibles, Wong is the author of Smithsonian Baseball: Inside the World's Finest Private Collections (2005, Smithsonian Books) and Game Worn: Baseball Treasures from the Game's Greatest Heroes and Moments (2016, Smithsonian Books), both of which were runners-up for the Casey Award. He is a senior honorary advisor and major lender to “Baseball: America’s Home Run,” the Smithsonian Institution’s blockbuster exhibition commemorating the history, stamps, artwork and memorabilia of the National Pastime, on display at the Smithsonian National Postal Museum in Washington D.C. until Jan. 5, 2025.

Wong is also a member of the Board of Directors of the Jackie Robinson Foundation in New York and graduated cum laude with a B.A. in economics from HWS and went on to earn a J.D. from Stanford Law School in 1992.