30 Years and Counting

January 15, 2015
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David Berg, BS ’68, had an impressive 30-year career with the Virginia Department of Transportation and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation. But this past year, the number 30 took on a new meaning. As of 2014, Mr. Berg has supported his alma mater for over 30 consecutive years.

In 2006, Mr. Berg and his wife, Diane, took two decades of giving to new heights when they established the David W. Berg Scholarship in GW’s School of Engineering and Applied Science (SEAS). The annual scholarship supports undergraduate civil engineering students at SEAS.

“The value of what this award has done means a lot more than its dollar amount,” says Amzaray Ahmed, BS ’14, the 2011-13 recipient. “It shows that [they] care, and this is what I most appreciate.”

The Bergs met Amzaray at the 2013 Power & Promise Dinner, an event Mr. Berg called “fantastic.” While the couple receives annual bios from the students who receive support from the David W. Berg Scholarship, this was the first time they were able to connect fact to face.

“My scholarship is to promote civil engineering students, and here he is!” Mr. Berg said of meeting Amzaray for GW Today.

Amzaray, who graduated last May and now works as a structural engineer for William Sale Partnership (WSP) USA in New York, is just one of many whose life was changed by the Bergs’ generosity.

“It’s nice to know there’s someone out there who cares,” he says. “It’s a real person out there who wants to help.”

Recently, Mr. Berg increased his commitment to his scholarship with a $250,000 bequest intention, demonstrating that after three decades of generosity, the Bergs are still dedicated to ensuring future generations of engineers can pursue their dreams.