Mark Tarini’s connection to Southern Connecticut State University isn’t rooted in his own education or that of his children—it began with the bold, inspiring decision of his late mother, Antoinette Tarini, to pursue her lifelong dream of a college degree.
In 1981, at the age of 62, Antoinette quietly began taking classes at Southern. So quietly, in fact, that her family didn’t even know—until her name appeared on the Dean’s List in a local newspaper.
“I hadn’t even told my husband,” Antoinette recalled in a 2005 Southern Alumni Magazine interview. “I didn’t want anyone to know. I didn’t feel like I was doing anything spectacular.”
“She was doing all the homework, buying all the books, taking the tests—so she finally said, ‘I might as well be a student,’” said Mark.
Antoinette graduated with a bachelor’s degree in Italian in 1987 from the College of Arts and Sciences. She continued her studies and earned a master’s degree in foreign languages in 1993. She received awards for excellence in Italian, was inducted into the Golden Key International Honour Society, and remained a lifelong learner — continuing to audit courses at Southern into her 80s. “I don’t want to break my thread with Southern,” she once said. “I don’t look at it as losing credits. I look at it as gaining knowledge.”
“She was winding things up when most people were winding down,” Mark reflected. “Southern changed her life.”
Her journey was remarkable not only for when it began, but also for how far it stretched. Born in 1919 to Italian immigrants, Antoinette was the first in her family to be born in the United States—and the first to graduate from college. After she completed high school in 1935, higher education wasn’t considered an option for her, especially as the daughter of a working-class immigrant family. It wasn’t until later in life that she finally had the chance to pursue what had once felt impossible.
To honor the transformative impact Southern had on her life, the Tarinis established the Antoinette Tarini Scholarship in 2016, the year of her passing at age 96. The scholarship supports students studying foreign languages—just as Antoinette had—and has since grown to reflect the family’s deeper commitment to educational equity.
As their involvement with Southern deepened, the Tarinis found a natural extension of that commitment in the University Access Programs (UAP). While the scholarship celebrates Antoinette’s academic path, UAP embodies her spirit of resilience and discovery—supporting students who, like her, are the first in their families to attend college and who face significant barriers to higher education.
Founded over 50 years ago as the Southern Educational Opportunity Program (SEOP), UAP has empowered thousands of underrepresented and first-generation students through its Summer Academy and Academic Year Initiative. These programs help students gain admittance, thrive on campus, and ultimately graduate, despite challenges related to socioeconomic status, academic preparation, or life experience.
For the past several years, the Tarinis have sponsored UAP’s annual study abroad trips to locations such as Puerto Rico, Barbados, and most recently, Grenada. These trips provide an opportunity for students—many of whom have never left Connecticut—to gain global perspectives, engage in service learning, and experience personal growth. This year, the couple deepened their commitment by pledging five more years of continued support.
One student described the trip as “something I’ll forever hold near and dear to my heart,” while another said it helped them become more confident and reminded them of the importance of patience and kindness.
The impact is tangible. After each trip, Tarini and his wife attend student presentations and read handwritten letters of gratitude from the participants. “These students open up in such sincere and heartfelt ways,” he said. “Some even send multi-page letters because they can’t fit everything they want to share on just one card. Without fail, they bring tears to our eyes.”
Watching students form new bonds, embrace unfamiliar cultures, and return with renewed confidence is, for the Tarinis, the most meaningful return on their investment. “Travel shouldn’t be seen as a luxury,” Tarini emphasized. “It’s an essential part of education—especially for those who might not otherwise have the chance.”
“To us, UAP connected with my mom in so many ways—first generation, emphasis on education, foreign languages, foreign travel, and providing opportunities to those less fortunate than us. The program’s focus on first-generation and underrepresented students mirrors so much of my mother’s experience.”
The connection to Antoinette’s legacy couldn’t be clearer. A lifelong learner who found joy in new languages and cultures, she believed deeply in the power of human connection across borders.
“My mother believed that people in other countries weren’t strangers—they were just friends she hadn’t met yet,” Tarini said. “Supporting these trips feels like the perfect tribute.”
