Over the course of their careers at WSU, faculty, staff and retirees give their best to the university in their offices, classrooms, laboratories and in venues as varied as committee meetings to music recitals. Many of them also give back to WSU through gifts of money to various programs.
Julie Smitt, a 1977 WSU graduate and information specialist at the WSU Foundation, makes annual gifts to WSU and also has put the university in her will because she believes in the importance of higher education.
“Today, you have to have a college degree to get a good job,” she said. “In terms of being able to change the world, I can’t think of a better place to invest than Washington State University. WSU has such a broad reach and impacts so many aspects of people’s lives.”
Eugene Rosa, professor of sociology, has established an endowment to support developmental activities for junior faculty. “The only way we can stay world-class is to attract and retain superb young scholars,” Rosa said. “I hope this endowment contributes in a small way.”
Rosa named the endowment in honor of his parents who, he noted, did not have the privilege of a higher education and sacrificed to provide him with that opportunity.
Deborah Carlson, associate budget director (capital), contributes via payroll deduction to PATH (Palouse Area Therapeutic Horsemanship), a community service program under the People-Pet Partnership in the WSU College of Veterinary Medicine. The program provides recreational, therapeutic horseback riding for people of all ages with physical, mental and/or emotional disabilities.
“On a very small budget, the mostly volunteer-run program provides a tremendous service to individuals who may not have other recreational or therapeutic outlets,” said Carlson. “As a budget officer, I know that a lot of the programs at WSU need more funding. Often their success is dependent on the commitment of volunteers and donors. I can feel good about giving back to WSU because I see PATH’s impact on the people it serves.”
