Diana Piquette Memorial Scholarship continues her legacy of uplifting others
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Diana Piquette ’06 (BUS), ’07 MS lived a life of extraordinary achievement while uplifting those around her. When she passed away in 2022 at the age of 37, her family wanted to honor the incredible impact she made on so many people.
Diana’s family decided to establish an endowed scholarship in UConn’s School of Business to recognize the role it played in her career success and to continue her legacy of supporting and developing young talent. The Diana Piquette Memorial Scholarship will be one of the largest accounting scholarships at UConn and will support female accounting undergraduate students who demonstrate merit and community involvement, carrying on Diana’s legacy.
Diana is remembered by her family for her warmth and generosity of spirit as much as for her professional drive. She was a devoted aunt, sister, daughter, and wife who always found new and creative ways to enliven family gatherings. She loved to travel and try new food and had an eye for design that she leveraged with her husband, Justin Banulski ’03 (BUS), as they built their home together.
In addition to her family and friends, Diana was a positive driving force for her colleagues at the Hartford, Connecticut-based Nassau Financial Group. In her eight years at Nassau, Diana progressed quickly through increasingly responsible roles and was appointed chief financial officer at the age of 35. Prior to joining Nassau, Diana worked as an audit manager for Deloitte in Hartford, where she earned her CPA and was an insurance industry specialist and active member of the Deloitte Women’s Initiative Network.
Nassau made a significant contribution to the endowment fund to honor Diana for the lasting impact she made on the company and team.
“Diana played a key role in driving Nassau’s success, with her brilliant mind, strong work ethic, and talent for managing complex initiatives,” says Phil Gass, Nassau’s chairman and chief executive officer. “Above all, Diana was a trusted advisor and good friend to her colleagues across the company.”
In 2020, Diana was selected as a Rising Leader by the American Council of Life Insurers, and in 2021 she was recognized as one the Hartford Business Journal’s “40 Under Forty” leaders. Diana also served on the Board of Trustees of the Connecticut Science Center.
In addition to her exceptional business accomplishments, Diana was known for her kindness and commitment to mentoring and developing opportunities for others. When she gave her time as a volunteer, her consistent focus was on empowering and preparing young people for success.
