Scholarship of Hope: How the Brenna Ilana Berger Memorial Fund is Changing Lives

The week before classes began last fall, Cassie Alegria was withdrawing from her classes because she didn’t have the tuition money. She had called the dean’s office a week before to ask how her enrollment would be affected if she took a year off. 

As she finished, the phone rang. It was the dean’s office, but not the call she expected. 

“It was Ms. Souksavath calling to tell me I’d just received the scholarship,” Cassie remembered. 

“I was so shocked I had to ask her to repeat herself,” Cassie said. “I hung up, immediately re-enrolled in the two courses I’d just dropped, and called my husband, in joyous tears.” 

Each year, the Brenna Ilana Berger Memorial Scholarship awards $40,000 to two undergraduate students in one of 18 majors in the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences who have overcome significant hardships in their educational journey. 

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Nicolas (Nico) Ramon Nieves-Quiroz, a senior majoring in law with a criminology minor, received the scholarship this year. It has allowed him to work one job instead of two while caring for his father and making ends meet.

Juggling Education, Work, and Adversity

Cassie and Nico have struggled to remain in school while navigating life’s challenges. 

Cassie is a senior and non-traditional student majoring in English and creative writing. She balances household and family responsibilities, navigates health issues, and has a grown child in college. 

Nico developed epilepsy during childhood. Managing his health, two jobs, and caregiving for his father worsened his symptoms. Later, a random attack outside a convenience store set back his recovery. 

“Getting hit in the head made the fire a little hotter,” Nico said. “But I haven’t had the worst kind of seizures in about five years.”

Remembering Brenna

The Brenna Ilana Berger Memorial Scholarship was established in 2013 to honor Brenna, a U of A communication alumna who passed away in 2010 at 41. Created by her sister Melany and parents Esther and Bob Berger, the scholarship celebrates Brenna’s dedication to the university and work as a counselor for at-risk middle school students. 

“Brenna was always there for someone in need. There was never any judgment,” Melany said. 

Melany is a U of A alumna who graduated with a B.A. in communication and serves on the College of Social and Behavioral Sciences Advisory Board. 

The Berger family gets to know the scholarship recipients each year, to follow their journey, and support their achievements. 

“This scholarship is about more than the money. It’s about honoring my sister’s memory and keeping her legacy alive,” Melany said.

Impact Through Stability

Nico said the scholarship relieved him from the pressure of paying for school entirely on his own and allowed him to avoid relying on his dad, whose health had worsened to the point where he could no longer provide support.

“It allowed me to take control of my path,” Nico said. “I was able to take a step back from my second job, reevaluate my skills, and focus on my academics. 

“I had the chance to have a luncheon with the Bergers and they are wonderful,” Nico said. “I also learned more about Brenna, which was such a joy. I’m so grateful.” 

The scholarship allowed Cassie to stay enrolled and helped her complete 60 pages of a manuscript, earning her an invitation to an independent study course. 

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“The Bergers made it possible for me to stay in school this year and get one step closer to obtaining my degree,” Cassie said. “I hope I have made and will continue to make them proud.” 

Cassie and Nico both plan on futures that impact people’s lives, like Brenna. 

Nico is a legal processor for the Pima County prosecutor. His experience working with local government has expanded his ambitions into learning administrative and criminal law, so his sights are set on law school. 

Cassie volunteers with youth facing addiction and emotional disabilities. After graduation, she hopes to work with students “who may have no one else who sees or believes in them.” 

“There’s never a day that goes by that we don’t think about my sister,” Melany said. “With this scholarship, we are trying to celebrate her life and who she was as a person and an educator. I’m happy that she can continue to help more students now in her passing.”

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This story was included in the spring 2025 Developments newsletter.