Alfred F. Shine, who died Nov. 7, donated his ’48 class ring — one of his prized possessions — to the University and asked that administrators pick a deserving undergraduate to carry on his legacy by wearing his ring. Shine, who was born in Jersey City, N.J., hoped the recipient would be from New Jersey.
“When I saw the ring, I immediately thought of Kevin,” said Thomas Dunne, deputy dean of undergraduate students. “I knew he was a great guy who loved his Princeton experience and was really grateful for the opportunities he’d had at Princeton. I felt that he would carry on the spirit of the gift.”
“I was beyond words after I got the ring,” said Lopez, a Newark, N.J., resident whose mother emigrated from Colombia and father from Ecuador. “I called my mom and she started crying. To me, the ring confirms that even though I may not have known him or anyone in the Class of ’48, that I belong to this enormous warm family that is Princeton.”
Lopez was active in the Princeton Hidden Minority Council, a group that works to eliminate the stigma associated with first-generation and low-income students. He also worked with the admission office, speaking at high schools and college fairs in Newark.
“My dream is to pass this ring on to someone from Newark who will go to school here,” he said.