“Everyone Loves an Underdog” - Young Alum Makes $100,000 Bequest to Bloomsburg Huskies

Frank Doone ’21/23M has made an astonishing beneficiary designation of $100,000 towards the “Everyone Loves an Underdog Scholarship.”

As a first-generation student and a recipient of multiple scholarships, Frank made an effort to give back as soon as he could. He often refers to Bloomsburg as a home and has already reconnected with many of his former colleagues.

“We’re excited to see young alumni like Frank Doone get involved on campus,” said Jerome Dvorak, Director of the Bloomsburg University Foundation. “Frank demonstrates the importance of emergency support, both as a recipient and as a donor.”

When Frank was just 17 years old, he left Shamokin, PA, to enlist in the Pennsylvania National Guard. Soon, he enrolled at Bloomsburg, and all was well until his junior year, when the COVID-19 pandemic made it difficult to find work and afford basic utilities.

Luckily, through the Strengthen the Pack Scholarship, Frank received scholarship funds and could focus less on his financial struggles and more on his classwork. Now, he lives in the DC area and works for Avis Budget Group while pursuing his Doctorate from Drexel University.

“Whether it was my advisor, whether it was my teachers, or whether it was my gym buddies, I always had some kind of guidance… I had always had a family here, and it made me who I am,” said Frank at the 2026 Scholarship Luncheon.

The Annual Scholarship is an event hosted by Bloomsburg that allows scholarship recipients to sit down directly with their donors and hear their stories. After a few years away from campus, Frank described the event as, “Wonderful. It felt like home. It felt like I was returning to open arms.”

Frank believes strongly in serving others, and on top of feeling a sense of comradery from Bloomsburg and its community, he truly appreciates the support he received and wants to pay it back.

“I would love to see another student who might be in similar shoes rise through their struggles... and get that helping hand that I was given.”

Frank’s journey is a true underdog story, and through the Everyone Loves an Underdog Scholarship, Bloomsburg can continue bringing out the best in its students.

To read more about philanthropy at Commonwealth University-Bloomsburg, visit https://giving.bloomu.edu/news/.