Palo Alto, CA – In a ceremony at Stanford University’s 2015 commencement, guest speaker Richard Engel, NBC News’ chief foreign correspondent, was awarded an honorary student loan debt in excess of $100,000.
“On behalf of the board of trustees, it is my honor to bestow upon you this debt of $140,000, payable in low-interest installments, as we welcome you to this community of knowledge,” said Provost Etchemendy as he handed FAFSA papers to Engel and paused for a photo-op.
The student debt affirms Engel’s honorary place among the school’s community of students and alumni. “We here at Stanford see Mr. Engel as a part of our family, and he deserves to be recognized as such, with all the crippling financial stress that entails,” explained Etchemendy in his closing comments.
At press time, the University had already reached out to Engel to ask if he was interested in giving back and making donations to the alumni association.
