(CHARLOTTESVILLE – WINA)     A new program that targets first-generation students at the University of Virginia is a major part of a $100 million gift that was announced over the weekend by the Jefferson Scholars Foundation.   The donors are David and Jane Walentas of New York.

David Walentas is a real estate developer and a 1961 alumnus of UVA and a 1964 graduate of the Darden School.  He was the first member of his family to attend college.  $75 million will cover scholarships and fellowships for first-generation students, and the remaining $25 million will involve scholarship and professorships through the Jefferson Scholars Foundation and the Darden School.