What were your favorite classes and activities while you were a student?
We both majored in communications and deeply embedded what we learned in our careers. Our common interests in Student Senate, fraternity and sorority life, and Concert Choir sent us down very similar paths on campus.
Is there a person (or persons) who was a positive influence while you were a student?
The list would be so long! Honestly, because we both enjoyed learning and participating in campus life, there are countless professors, administrators, staff members, and alumni who left a cumulative and special touch on who we are today. We thank each and every one of them.
How did Mount Union prepare you for your successful career?
Mount Union taught us both the importance of being a contributor to community—whether in our neighborhood, school, work, or special interests. A job is a wonderful thing, but it really is about the gifts that one gives back beyond the daily expected tasks. We benefited from academics and extracurricular opportunities that allowed us to develop not only knowledge, but communication and leadership skills that have adapted well over the years. We also benefited from relationships with professors and staff who challenged us to think and work differently.
What do you enjoy most about coming back to campus?
The University of Mount Union changed in name from Mount Union College, but not in spirit. We have returned to campus many times since graduation. The smiles, energy, and sense of preparing and adapting for the future is evident. It is enjoyable to walk around campus and see growth. Mount’s students are more than just young people attending class to earn a degree. We get a sense that they have dedication to their futures and to making the world around them a better place.
What motivates you to stay involved at Mount Union?
We believe that it is important to give back and to pay it forward. Both of us benefited from the nurturing, warm environment of Mount Union—the professors, alumni, employees, and our friends. Neither of us would be the people we are today without four years of very positive experiences at Mount. We want the same for today’s students and future generations.
What attracted you to establishing your trust at Mount Union? Why do you financially support Mount Union and what kind of impact do you hope your gifts will have?
We have been blessed that Mount Union is an essential part of our lives. In addition to us, our daughters—Alicia ’13 and Jessica ’15—graduated from Mount. All four of us leveraged our degrees, and completed graduate school. None of our successes would have been possible without every educator and every educational institution that opened doors to new skills and ideas. Consequently, we believe that education is our best legacy. It is a gift that keeps on giving. We believe that Mount Union offers the supportive environment that will continue to open those proverbial doors and windows to productive careers and lives of young people for years to come. There is goodness about the Mount Union spirit, and we—as a family—want others to experience it.
What do you hope Mount Union will achieve in the future?
Today, the University of Mount Union boasts a beautiful campus and an ever evolving academic program designed to prepare students for careers and as productive citizens. We sincerely hope that Mount is successful in increasing gifts to support scholarships. A college education is very expensive, and many students are leaving undergraduate with large student debt. It is our dream that other alumni and community members—individuals, foundations, corporations—contribute in ways that allow a University of Mount Union education to be affordable and attainable.