12/11/2025

When Connie Sweeney was 18, she enrolled at a local university with big dreams — but after a year and a half, she had to trade college for full-time work for financial reasons. Years later, thanks to Widener’s employee tuition benefit program, she returned to class to complete both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees, an achievement she still cherishes.

That experience makes the recent renaming of Delaware Law School’s student emergency fund especially meaningful. The fund will now be known as the Constance M. Sweeney Student Emergency Fund, honoring Sweeney’s more than three decades of service and her unwavering commitment to helping students succeed.

The fund provides help to Delaware Law students when they need it most. It offers a safety net for students facing unexpected financial crises, ensuring that they have the support needed to complete their education and become the legal leaders of tomorrow. 

At the school’s 50th anniversary gala celebration, Dean Todd Clark highlighted why Sweeney’s name belongs on the fund.  

From left, Emeritus Professor J. Patrick Kelly, Connie Sweeney, Distinguished Professor Alan Garfield, and Paula Garrison, retired executive assistant to the dean.

“She is usually the first person to arrive in the morning and often the last to leave at night. If there’s an emergency, she will be the first person to offer help. There is nothing she cannot or will not do to make this institution and its students successful,” Clark said.

The announcement drew cheers and a toast to Sweeney, who admitted the recognition still feels surreal.

“The fact that the fund is there to help a student through an especially hard time only enhances the honor I feel to be associated with it,” Sweeney said.

Sweeney’s career at Delaware Law began when an application for part-time work at Widener’s Chester campus led her to the university’s Wilmington-based law school. Human resources staff encouraged her to interview at the law school because of her legal background.

“They set up four interviews in one day and within a week, I received offers for all four jobs,” she recalled.

From that first role as a faculty secretary, Sweeney moved into administration and eventually became indispensable in the dean’s office. Over the years, she’s supported students through competitions and events and even enjoyed extraordinary experiences, like a private nighttime tour of the White House in 2013 arranged through Beau Biden. But what she values most are the relationships.

“We truly are a family at Delaware Law. I’ve met and worked with the most interesting, smart, funny, and loving coworkers,” Sweeney said.

The renamed fund reflects that same spirit of care.

Connie Sweeney

“In my personal life, I donate to GoFundMe causes, food drives at church, and probably too many dog rescues,” Sweeney said. “I view the student emergency fund as a wonderful extension of my personal view on giving.”

To launch the fund, donors pledged a combined $25,000, giving the balance a major boost. Sweeney expressed gratitude to these donors and to friends and family who honored her with gifts at the gala. She also thanked Dean Clark for initiating the renaming.

“Todd is an excellent dean — smart, funny, and caring for students, faculty, and employees alike,” Sweeney said.

Looking ahead, Sweeney hopes alumni and friends will see their support as a way to help future generations.

“When students encounter unexpected hardships, this fund ensures they have the resources and encouragement to continue their education,” she said.

Her message to students who benefit: “You are not alone. Accept the help with pride, use it to move forward, and when you’re able, extend that same spirit of generosity to someone else.”

Additional information about the fund, including student guidelines and the application process are available on the Office of Student Affairs website within the Resource Support & Mental Health & Wellness dropdown menu or on the policy page.

To contribute to the Constance M. Sweeney Student Emergency Fund visit: https://DLSgiving.widener.edu/Sweeney