New Walgreens CEO is a Henrietta native, major MCC philanthropist

In a little under a week, a Monroe Community College (MCC) graduate will become the new CEO of Walgreens. The Henrietta native who currently lives in New Jersey has spent years leading companies in the pharmaceutical industry. But before he made his name there – and after he graduated from Rush-Henrietta Central School District – he and his now-wife Robin enrolled at MCC.

“Tim and Robin were extraordinarily high-performing students at MCC. they worked exceptionally hard, but they had huge needs, they were struggling dramatically to come to MCC,” Mark Pastorella said.

Pastorella is the Associate Vice President of Development for the MCC Foundation – he works with alumni.

“Robin and Tim are extraordinary alumni of MCC. They’ve been intimately involved with us for 20-plus years,” he said. “Generous philanthropists, wonderful role models for students. And their message to students is very clear: If you have the persistence, and you have the desire, come to MCC and follow in their footsteps.”

In 1980, Robin graduated with a degree in music. While Tim graduated with a degree in business, Pastorella said he shared his wife’s appreciation of the arts. Thirty years after they graduated, they gave their first big donation to the school, totaling $250,000.

While most of it was money, they also purchased a Steinway. Adjusting for inflation, the 7-foot-long grand piano cost over $100,000 at the time of purchase.

“They were looking at the piano that we had at the time, and they wanted to do something for us that would really help the program,” music professor John Nyerges said. “What a Steinway does, a fine instrument, is really raise the quality of everything that you do. […] Everything just sounds that much better and inspires the students.”

The rest of their donation started their scholarship fund. Over the next 15 years, the Wentworths would donate over $7 million to the school. Most of that ends up funding their scholarships. Every year, their sizeable donation pays $3,000 to 100 full-time students.

With the cost of full-time enrollment hovering at around $5,000, a Wentworth Family scholarship can take a sizeable chunk out of tuition costs.

“Tim was not able to afford coming to MCC, he received a scholarship and that made it possible for him to attend MCC, so when they reached the opportunity to give back, that’s their passion,” Pastorella said.

The Wentworths are the largest donors that MCC has known. They’ve also given millions to the University of Rochester, where tim currently acts as a Trustee. Despite moving out of Rochester years ago, Pastorella said the Wentworths never forgot their alma mater – or, the students who attend.

“They really want those students to know they can be inspired, they can come to MCC and go anywhere, do anything,” Pastorella said. “There’s probably nobody, nobody more proud of their MCC education than Robin and Tim Wentworth.”