Inspiring Stories

The Tirpaks have many wonderful memories of Kent State, and they wanted to honor those memories in a special way, by endowing a named scholarship. The problem was, they each graduated from different colleges within Kent State, and they wanted to have their award available to students from both. The unique solution they arrived at, with the help of their advancement officer, was for the Joseph E. and Judith B. Tirpak Scholarship support students studying in both the College of Business Administration and the College of Education, Health and Human Services.

"Although they can't be an expert at everything, they need to remain curious."

That is Rebecca Herr's advice for students, and her own sense of curiosity became a passion for adventure.

Second year graduate student Tricia Reed typically works 20 to 30 hours per week while also working on her M.Ed/Ed.S. in school psychology - a hectic schedule that leaves her little time for other activities. But, thanks to the E. Earline Long Endowed Scholarship in School Psychology, this past summer Tricia was able to take courses rather than work full time.

Tom Serwatka started his master's program at Kent State during the summer of 1970, a time of great social change. As a result, he says he enjoyed many life-affirming experiences during his time at the university while working toward both his master's and Ph.D. degrees in language disorders and deaf education.

Charles Harker's decision to create a scholarship to aid future students was easy. He found that he could create a scholarship with its intent now, and fund it through his will.

The Clarks spent many years supporting various programs and renovations at Kent State Geauga, including updates to the library, the main entrance and parking lot, and the complete renovation of the commons area, which was named the William T. and Margaret R. Clark Commons in their honor. An endowed general scholarship was established in Bill and Margaret's names, which has benefitted many students who live in the area.

It was love at first sight for Marty Goetz. The 18-year-old Long Island native and recent high school graduate was simply visiting a friend who attended Kent State when the campus worked its magic on him. To help honor Hoobler, Andra Polasky, director of planned giving, assisted Marty in creating a legacy gift that expressed how much the university played a defining role in his life. Marty and his wife, Susan, have made a bequest to the Atkinson-Hoobler Scholarship Fund that supports student (peer) tutors at the Trumbull Campus.

Sondra's bequest to WKSU benefits many thousands of people throughout the station's listening area. "Sondra Constant's generosity was extraordinary," says Dan Skinner, executive director of WKSU.

If you've ever been a "band nerd," you have a lot in common with David and Pat Grutzmacher. When the two met in college, they shared a love of music (he played trumpet and she the oboe) and went on to share their lives as well. Today, David is a vice president at a small manufacturing company, and Pat is planning her "official" retirement from Kent State after 38 years in a variety of roles at both the Stark and Kent campuses: first as a graduate student, then as a professor, coordinator of music education, and a developer of degree programs. She and David are also planning their giving legacy by establishing the Patricia and David Grutzmacher Endowed Scholarship for Music Education with a bequest to the university.

Inspired by late faculty colleagues Jim Rinier (geology) and Art Herrick (biology) who designated Kent State in their estate plans, Ed and his wife, Peg, have funded a gift annuity, which at maturity will benefit the Map Library in the Kent State University Libraries.