Our Story
Danielle's Spirit is a not-for-profit foundation established in 2003 to honor the memory and life of Danielle Kousoulis. Danielle was a young woman whose life was tragically taken by the 9/11 terrorists at the World Trade Center, where she worked as a Vice President of Corporate Bonds at Cantor Fitzgerald.
To celebrate the deep connection Danielle made as a student athlete while attending Villanova University, our founders created a perpetual endowment to benefit future generations of strong women. Danielle was a four-year student-athlete (’93 Villanova School of Business: B.S. Economics; Villanova Women’s Crew, Varsity lightweight eight).
These student-athletes share many of Danielle’s great qualities, including: charisma, loyalty, commitment, reliability, humility, selflessness, and the ability to motivate others in a common cause while having fun.
The Scholarship
This scholarship is granted a female student athletes who have successfully completed at least one season competing for their respective Villanova team.
This focused, regional support has directly benefited dedicated women across multiple teams, including:
- Rowing
- Water Polo
- Tennis
- Softball
- Field Hockey
- Lacrosse