Inspiring Stories
Patricia Grutzmacher, '85, professor emerita of music education, remembers that as a student it was important for her to have time to study, reflect, philosophize and actually learn. Now, it's important to Patricia to give back to help future students have those same opportunities.
Marilyn Flower and her late husband, Don, were passionate supporters of the men's basketball and wrestling programs at Kent State, and Marilyn loves Porthouse Theater as well.
Andy and Micheal Sonderman have fond memories of their time as students at both the Trumbull and Kent campuses. That's why they decided to make a planned gift that will benefit both.
Rick and Janis Krumel remember well what it was like to be the first in their families to attend college. The Krumels funded the DeLong-Krumel Family Endowed Scholarship over a five-year period. They're turning their scholarship into four individual Founders Scholarships by adding funds to it through their estate plan's retirement accounts.
Lovers of classical music and all other things NPR will find a friend in Sandie Kramer. The retired social studies teacher and long-time volunteer at WKSU turned her passion for the station's programming and outreach programs into two legacy gifts that will touch many other lives in the future.
"It's important to me to give back because I had such a good experience at Kent State," says Jim. "I have a revocable living trust currently that will convert to a charitable trust after I pass. Every year it will spin off a certain amount of money for the university." Jim's gift will support the Master's of Public Administration Program by establishing and staffing a Service Learning Center. Jim explains that both MPA students and faculty will benefit from the program.
Even though he passed away in 2011, Brittany Caldwell, a sophomore at the East Liverpool campus, feels like she knows Gus Markanton well. "I know he owned Gus's Party Center and was full of encouraging words to people who wanted to continue their education," she says. "I really wish I could have met him -- and tried one of his sandwiches!"
Lellan "Mac" McFarland has had a love affair with airplanes and aviation for most of his life. He joined the Air Force right after high school in 1955, and served as a crew chief on F-86 Sabre jets for four years, before joining Warner Swazey as a machinist. Over many subsequent years, Mac went on to college and earned a B.S. in aeronautical engineering, an M.S. in mechanical engineering and eventually, an M.B.A from Kent State in 1980.
Sarah Mull loves animals. She's a zoology major, and her dream has always been to become a veterinarian. Thanks to the Dr. Harold R. Papiska Scholarship in Biological Science, she's one step closer to making that dream a reality.