Restaurant Icon Richard Gonzmart and Wife Melanie Help First-Generation Students Thrive at Saint Leo with Endowment Scholarship

Saint Leo University students have until October 15 to apply for the Richard & Melanie Gonzmart Endowment, an annual scholarship created to support first-generation undergraduates with financial need. The scholarship, funded by Tampa Bay philanthropists Richard and Melanie Gonzmart, ensures that future Lions have the resources to pursue their degrees and thrive.

For Richard Gonzmart, fourth-generation caretaker of Tampa’s iconic 1905 Family Of Restaurants, the endowment reflects his lifelong belief in the power of Catholic education and the importance of helping others.

“I am a testimonial to the value of a Catholic education,” Gonzmart said. “It grounds you. At Jesuit, the motto was, ‘Men for others.’ That belief in service is what inspired us to support Saint Leo students, especially those who are the first in their families to go to college.”

Richard’s own journey was shaped by lessons learned early on — from giving away his tuition money in first grade to help children in need, to guidance from Jesuit teachers who taught him integrity and faith in action. Those experiences continue to guide him today, and they fuel his commitment to ensuring students at Saint Leo have the support to stay enrolled and graduate.

“First-generation students face unique challenges,” Gonzmart said. “We want them to know they are not alone, and that others believe in them and their potential.”

Through the Richard & Melanie Gonzmart Endowment, Saint Leo University continues its mission of creating opportunities for all students, especially those whose determination to succeed will change the future of their families and communities.

Scholarship recipients must be full-time undergraduate students at Saint Leo’s University Campus, at least rising sophomores, first-generation in college, demonstrate financial need, and maintain a GPA of 2.5 or higher.