Lasting value

From M, fall 2003

The smallest decision can have a big impact on the world. Take Elizabeth Koenig's choice to become an elementary school teacher, a profession she settled on because her aunt was a dynamic and devoted educator. "She had a following in her school," says Koenig (B.S. '50, M.A. '60). In 1989, after nearly four decades in the Minneapolis public schools, Koenig herself retired from a career that had touched hundreds of third-and fourth-grade children. "I mostly went into teaching because it's a service. I also considered nursing, being a doctor, or a pastor," Koenig recalls.

The University benefits greatly from small gifts contributed by a growing pool of loyal donors.

Koenig's service on behalf of education also includes financial support. Like many alumni donors, Koenig didn't have millions to donate to the University, but she knew that whatever amount she could offer would be put to good use. She endowed a $25,000 scholarship fund in the College of Education and Human Development and hopes students will use it as a springboard for their own careers in service professions. "I wanted to make it possible for others to do what I did," Koenig says. "I wanted to leave something of value."

The value of scholarships is self-evident to Phil Splett (B.S. '69, M.S. '78). Recently retired as career-services and alumni-relations coordinator for the College of Natural Resources, Splett saw firsthand the impact gifts had on students during his 28 years at the U. For example, he witnessed how donations could create opportunities for students who needed field experience at the Cloquet Forestry Center, but couldn't afford $1,500 for the three-week session. "For some students, that was an additional burden, but scholarships made it possible for students to go," Splett recalls.

The University benefits greatly from small gifts contributed by a growing pool of loyal donors. "When you get a large number of alumni who each contribute a small amount, it adds up fast," says Splett, who has made his gift to the U through payroll deduction over the past three years.