SHARE Fellowship

The Thunderbird SHARE Fellowship is an original and proven scholarship/mentorship program and supportive community for exceptional Thunderbird students from developing countries.  

SHARE’s goal is to give promising talent the opportunity to take control of their future – and the future of their home regions – with an education from Thunderbird. At the same time, they bring their insight, cultural experiences and broad worldview to the school, enriching the student experience and the Thunderbird community through their unique perspectives. 

SHARE’s story  

In 2007 alumnus Marshall Parke ’77 developed a plan to provide scholarships for students from developing countries who might otherwise not have the resources to attend Thunderbird. Parke's experience working in developing countries taught him that these students needed access to strong networks and professional mentoring as well. He founded the Thunderbird SHARE Fellowship - an alumni-funded scholarship/mentorship program for students from emerging and developing countries. Since awarding its first scholarships in 2008, the program has attracted over forty alumni contributors and countless mentoring volunteers.

Our SHARE Fellows

Since inception, the SHARE Fellowship Program has funded 59 scholarships for students from over 30 countries from Afghanistan to Zimbabwe. These recipients come from a wide range of professional backgrounds including technology, the nonprofit world, engineering, banking, agriculture, accounting, government, marketing, and academia. Seven recipients have been Fulbright scholars, and all have had outstanding academic records and a history of community involvement.

SHARE’s Offering

Funded by alumni and friends of Thunderbird, SHARE ensures full tuition and expense money so its Fellows can participate fully in campus life, take advantage of unpaid internships, and attend optional academic programs. It truly levels the playing field – SHARE Fellows collaborate and compete on equal footing with economically privileged classmates.  SHARE's unique offerings include individualized training, goal setting, tutoring, mentoring and high-level introductions from multiple experts and senior executives. SHARE Fellows graduate with developed networks of executive mentors in their industries or geographies.

SHARE’s Impact on the Thunderbird Community

Dozens of alumni have supported SHARE. There are many ways to participate:  Donating financially, mentoring, referring candidates, offering jobs or internships.    A typical SHARE Fellow interacts with at least 10 alumni, and graduates as a fully integrated and connected member of the alumni community. SHARE graduates stay in touch, and give back immediately to the school by mentoring others and eventually contributing financially.

SHARE Executive Committee:

Marshall Parke '77 • David Young '91 • Kathryn Lindquist '84 • Kim Wiehl '80 • Susan Stevens '73 • Maria Houle '87 (Program Director)

"It has been fantastic to watch the students’ careers as they have gone back out and taken on new roles all over the world. They are doing exactly what we hoped they would do.

Marshall Parke ’77, Thunderbird Trustee and SHARE Fellowship founder 

Fungai Madaza ‘17 from Zimbabwe, summarized her experience with SHARE: “In Africa, we have a famous proverb, it takes a village to raise a child. SHARE has been my village.”

To donate by check, please send the check to:

ASUF - Thunderbird

Attn: Financial Services

PO Box 2260

Tempe, AZ 85280-2260

Please make the check payable to “ASU Foundation – Thunderbird”; Memo: "SHARE Fellowship"