Spencer Spirit Holdings deepens partnership with Rowan through three student-centered initiatives

Rowan University students will have new opportunities for support, education and career preparation through a $75,000 commitment from Spencer Spirit Holdings, Inc., the Egg Harbor Township, N.J.-based parent company of Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween.

The funds will support The Shop Pantry & Student Resource Center, Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy and establish a permanent endowed scholarship for students in Rohrer College of Business.

Representatives from Spencer's and Spirit joined Rowan University leaders Aug. 25 at Business Hall to celebrate the growing partnership with a check presentation ceremony.

“We are honored to have earned Spencer and Spirits’ trust to develop the next generation of business leaders. This gift will benefit many students across the University,” said Rowan President Ali Houshmand. “Together, we will continue to find new ways to support and inspire students.”

A portion of the gift—$15,000—will go directly to The Shop to provide food products for students in need. Spencer’s and Spirit already donated new shelves to the on-campus pantry to accommodate the influx of donations received earlier this summer. National surveys estimate that 34 percent of college students suffer from food insecurity at some point in their collegiate careers.

“The Shop is doing incredibly important work for Rowan students,” said Darren Haviland, Vice President of Guest Services and Corporate Administration at Spencer’s and Spirit. “Students shouldn’t have to choose between meeting their basic needs and focusing on their education. We’re proud to support the pantry and look forward to continuing to build on that partnership.”

Haviland, who also serves on an advisory board for the Community FoodBank of New Jersey, emphasized that the company plans to continue supporting The Shop and more.

Committed to access
The largest portion of the gift will be used to create a scholarship for Rohrer College of Business students.

The “Spencer’s and Spirit Halloween Endowed Scholarship Fund” will be established with a $50,000 endowment and an additional $2,500 scholarship award for the 2026-27 academic year. The fund will support sophomores, juniors and seniors majoring in marketing, management, human resources, or information systems and analytics who demonstrate financial need while maintaining a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Entrepreneurship and real-world experience
The gift will also support Rowan’s Think Like an Entrepreneur Summer Academy, which recently wrapped up its tenth year. The free-to-attend program, which gives high school students an opportunity to experience entrepreneurship firsthand, will receive $7,500 to underwrite the cost of the college credit students receive upon completion.

Beyond philanthropy, both Rowan and Spencer Spirit Holdings see the collaboration as a way to strengthen connections between academic learning and professional experience.

"It's all about connecting academics to real-world, corporate job experience," Haviland said. "How can we connect those dots? How can we get the student population ready for a real-world career outside of the classroom?"

More work to do
Rohrer College of Business Dean Matthew Sarkees outlined the full impact of the gift and how the partnership has grown since early collaborations in 2024.

“We are fortunate to have built a strong relationship with a growing national brand that is local to Rowan,” Sarkees said. “Since our partnership began, we’ve had Spencer Spirit Holdings’ CEO Steven Silverstein visit campus for a fireside chat with students and have connected Rowan students with internship opportunities at Spencer’s and Spirit over the past two summers. This latest commitment will make an already strong partnership even stronger.”

Haviland concurred about the possibilities.

“This partnership is a priority for us, and we’re excited about what we can build together,” Haviland said. “We want to continue growing the scholarship, supporting The Shop and creating more opportunities for Rowan students for years to come.”