It was quite an honor sitting next to Charlotte Spencer–widow of Robert Spencer, the pioneer in risk management for whom the Spencer Educational Foundation is named–during an elegant dinner at the Waldorf to celebrate the scholarship fund's 30th anniversary.

I was blown away by the parade of those who stopped by our table to pay homage and tell Mrs. Spencer how grants from the fund had changed their lives.

When you're struggling to pay for an education that can make or break your career, every dime helps, and over the past three decades the Spencer Foundation has helped 454 students afford undergraduate, graduate or continuing ed costs. Many have gone on to work for insurers or brokerages, or in the risk management community.