Duck Diaries: A Scholarship Story

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Duck Diaries: A Scholarship Story

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Tony Massoud '79 established the Soltex Pinnacle Scholarship to support engineering students on their academic journey at Stevens. But his support goes far beyond financial assistance. Tony has fostered a strong bond with his scholarship recipients, providing mentorship, guidance and friendship - creating an empowering, close-knit community.

An accomplished entrepreneur, Tony is the founder and CEO of Soltex, a specialty chemical manufacturer and distributor based in Houston, Texas. Tony sets aside time to meet with his scholars, give advice, offer career support and share life updates. At the 2024 Stevens Awards Gala, Tony was honored with the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. Entrepreneur Award. Tony arranged to have the Soltex scholars there as his special guests, along with his family.

"When I was thinking about how to give back, I decided that I wanted to make a direct impact on the lives of students, therefore a scholarship was the way to go," Tony says. "It also provided me an opportunity to share more than just financially. Interacting with these extraordinary young people, with their brilliant minds and fantastic dreams, is simply exhilarating. After spending an evening together, I feel inspired to stay active, keep thinking and keep creating!"

On a Wednesday afternoon this semester, we sat down with the Soltex Scholars to talk about the close connection they share with Tony and each other and the incredible impact it has made on their experience at Stevens.

Joining us were Soltex scholarship recipients: Noah Spina, a senior and software engineering major; Matthew Bazer, a third-year student majoring in mechanical engineering; and Jeremy Roller, a second-year student and mechanical engineering major. On the day we gathered, they met and welcomed the newest member of the group, Ted Janaqi, a first-year student majoring in mechanical engineering.

Here are excerpts from our conversation.

What are you especially grateful for in receiving the Soltex Pinnacle Scholarship?

Noah: The mentorship that comes with the Soltex scholarship. A lot of people think that scholarships are just about the money, but the mentorship from Tony is special. In my junior year, I switched from mechanical engineering (to software engineering), and I didn't have many opportunities in the workforce for my own professional development. So I reached out to Tony. He guided me and connected me with some people and ultimately through him, I got my first internship at DataCorp. That was super amazing, and I am super grateful for that. That's not something you always think about when you get a scholarship.

Jeremy: I think the most valuable thing, invaluable I'll even say, is the relationship and connection we have with Tony. I mean, he's always there for us. We have his phone number. We can call him. We can text him. Whenever. And he'll always pick up and always give us advice. In a more typical scholarship sense, I can seriously say that Tony's support is the reason I'm here. Plain and simple. I would not be here at Stevens if it were not for him. So it is very valuable to me, and I'm extremely grateful to him for it.

Matthew: The fact that I'm becoming friends, and like family, with people that I never would have expected to meet otherwise. How would I ever have met Tony or Noah and Jeremy? They're amazing people. I'm very excited to meet Ted and welcome him to the family. At the gala, Tony introduced us to all of his family, and they let us right in, talking to us as if they've known us forever. The interpersonal relationships we have are something incredible that I never would have gotten otherwise. That's the best part for me.

How has Tony inspired you?

Jeremy: Tony is very pro-active. Of course, he's an entrepreneur. He has very strong interpersonal skills. He knows how to make things work between people. He got us together. I think that's definitely the most important, the biggest thing that I admire about him. Not only is he a strong communicative, interpersonal person, but he treats you like a human being. He treats you like a friend. That's what I admire. He's got that balance.

Noah: His generosity. For someone so busy, being a CEO of a company, you don't expect him to give so much time to students who need his mentorship and guidance, but he's always there for his scholars and his family. He does treat us like we are a part of his family. That really inspired me to give back to others. In my fraternity, I'm now a mentor to a lot of the new members, and I'm on the executive committee. I'm also the founder of the Pickleball Club at Stevens. He inspired me to be a leader in that sense. I'm really grateful for that.

Matthew: Tony is someone who is just so incredibly real and genuine. He tells you these stories and you're just laughing with him, and you feel like you're just laughing with another friend. If I didn't know him as my mentor and my scholarship donor, I could have just met him at a restaurant and had a whole chat with him for hours. It's something that I hope one day, if I ever am as successful as him, I want to be like.

How has Tony and the scholarship shaped your perspective on giving back and philanthropy?

Matthew: Tony is an absolute inspiration when it comes to philanthropy. Since meeting Tony and seeing what he does for people, I was fortunate to get an internship that pays fairly well and already I can see the influence that Tony has had on me. When I go out with my siblings, I started paying for them. If I'm out with my friends, I'll pay. Just small things that I'm able to do right now. Tony has inspired me to be a giver. I really appreciate that.

Jeremy: This scholarship and this group have shown me how much of an impact it can make. Not only through the support of a scholarship, but also being there for your recipients. I've seen the impact on me. I've watched Noah and Matthew grow. I think Tony's support has really empowered us to chase after greater things during our time at Stevens. And I want to be able to do that for other people. I can't do much financially now to support a scholarship, but I can provide support for someone and help build them up, because building up others is building up yourself. Also, it's given me a sense of Stevens pride. Tony did not have to come back. He lives in Texas. He does not have to come up here to see us, but he does. He wants to be involved in the community here and that's inspired me to do the same once I graduate.

Noah: When I came to Stevens, I received so much. One of the things was Tony's scholarship and then his mentorship, which really inspired me to give back to others. I give back to a lot of people at Stevens through my time and support of others. I also try to help Jeremy and Matt whenever they need it. It does inspire me and, in the future, when I'm making a salary, I definitely would like to do something like Tony has been doing this whole time.

The scholars note they have developed a very close friendship through their scholarship bond. When a new recipient joins the group, a new friendship begins. They inspire and mentor each other and offer support whenever one needs it. They also joke about their Uber rides together and plan to attend each other's weddings in the future.

Do you envision maintaining this bond with Tony and each other after you graduate?

Noah: I'm graduating this year, and even though it feels like I'm leaving the Soltex scholarship, I'm still going to be a part of the Soltex Scholars family. I'll be pursuing a master's degree at Stevens, so I'll still be connected in that way. I think it's great to grow a network of people that you connect with. So as the Soltex scholars graduate, I'd like us to form a group of alumni where we could have a 10-year reunion. Just getting together would be amazing and connecting with younger people as well. I'd like to guide them in a way that they need, the way we did with each other. That would be a great way to connect and continue the bond that we've grown during our college time.

Matthew: One hundred percent. There's no way that I'm leaving Stevens without still talking to all of these guys and Tony. We usually meet up with Tony once a semester and then I reach out to him and send him a long text message about what I've been doing and any life updates. Even if I can't be there consistently to hear the small updates, I'd like to still continue on.

Jeremy: Absolutely. The bond we've already created with each other is great. Tony is someone who won't go away. He'll always care about us. His family told us how much he cares about us and how much he talks about us. I really do value our bond, and it's something I would never let go. I want to invite Tony to my wedding someday with a seat for him right up front.

The newest member of the group, Ted, said he is very grateful to Tony for the scholarship and being included in this close community. He is looking forward to his time at Stevens as a Soltex Scholar.

Ted: This whole experience has been exciting. I really like the idea of it being a community and all of us being brought together by this common relationship to Tony. It feels like a special opportunity to get to know people, in addition to the great educational opportunity. And it feels like something special to look forward to in the coming years, which is in of itself inspiring and really motivating.

And on that note, Noah, Matthew and Jeremy added Ted to their group chat.

Transformative Power of Philanthropy

Tony has created a scholarship experience that supports students holistically, empowering them to thrive in their academic journey, as well as their professional and personal growth, through meaningful mentorship and lasting connections. His scholarship, mentorship and special bond with these scholars are a testament to the transformative power of philanthropy.

"I hope the scholars, and really all the students, look at this life as a journey of exploration," Tony says. "That they achieve balance, intellectually and spiritually. So when it's all set and done, they feel like they left it all on the field."

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