Donor Stories
Learn how others have made an impact through their acts of giving to our organization and others.
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"I've always felt strongly about giving people a helping hand. In my
career, I saw first-hand how smart students just needed access to
opportunities. It's something I believe in wholeheartedly...
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Associate Dean Emeritus for Academics for the Mennonite College of Nursing
(MCN) Catherine Miller has always had a drive to learn as much as possible.
It was this drive to seek out new...
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When Professor Emeritus Charles "Charlie" Thompson joined the Department of
Biological Sciences in 1978, he wanted to have a lasting impact.
Considering Thompson's 40-year...
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A $2.5 million gift from the estate of Dr. Fred Gletten '71 has established
the Dr. Fred Gletten Endowed Chair in Biological Sciences. Gletten's gift is the largest gift to the School
of Biological...
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"I wouldn't be where I am today were it not for my experiences at
Mennonite," said Mark Pelletier '81. "It led me to what I'm doing now. It
gave me direction." With this in mind, Pelletier...
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A $1.4 million gift from the estate of James Ronald Beales '54, M.S. '59,
will support the programs, services, and initiatives of Illinois State
University's Alumni Engagement department...
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Illinois State was always a top choice for Tim Pantaleone '07. His mother was a graduate, several relatives held degrees from the University...
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Anna Ropp '31 spent the majority of her 100-year life caring for others. On the family farm she watched over her three sons and...
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Not everyone knows what they want to be when they grow up, but Stewart Adams '71, M.A. '74, Ed.D '03, did. He wanted to be a teacher.
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Pat Grogg joined the faculty of the College of Business in 1976 as an interim assistant professor in business education. Grogg, who specialized...
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After graduating from Farmer City High School, Larry enrolled at Illinois State with a State Scholarship, graduating with an English-speech-journalism composite major...
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Trent Richards '71, M.S. '81, has raised the bar since college-literally and figuratively. Enrolling at Illinois State as a physical education major...
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Linda Cooper, M.S. '99, had her first experiences in healthcare at a young age. Her mother, who worked as a labor and delivery nurse, would return...
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Some of the most important lessons in life aren't taught in the classroom. Linda Sorrells learned the value of giving and philanthropy from her parents and aunt. Linda remembers her father...
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Speak with Danielle Miller-Schuster '97, M.S. '98, about Illinois State University, and you can't help feel her enthusiasm. The University was one of Danielle's top choices...
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When Carol (Brush) Lind '75, M.S. '02, Ph.D. '07, first graduated with a degree in art education, even she couldn't have guessed that it was the first step in a journey...
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Joe and Anna have been faithful supporters of our organization over the years. Both of them strongly believe that it is important to support and encourage our mission.
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After working for decades as a pediatrician in a small rural town, Patricia was ready to retire.
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Howard and Lynn were age 55 when they purchased some land outside of town, and they thought it would be a good investment that they could later sell.
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Peter and Gail were nearing retirement. Over the years, with the help of their financial advisor, they made solid investments in securities.
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Many years ago, Clara bought a home. Since she was so pleased with the home, she decided to buy stock in the company that built it.
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Pat and Shelly were recently married. They had both been dedicated volunteers at their favorite charity for many years.
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Gene and Carol purchased stock in a small medical service company several years ago. Now, Gene and Carol are looking for a way to save taxes.
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Mary grew up on a farm. When her parents passed away, she inherited the farm. Now, several developers would like to build homes on the farmland.
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Miranda lived in the family home where she and her spouse had raised their children. After her spouse passed, Miranda found it increasingly difficult to care for her home.
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Lewis is a 54-year-old executive at a large healthcare company. He purchased company stock during years when the stock price was low, and now the stock has grown substantially.
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Susan and Kevin bought their first home many years ago. They had planned to build a second home so that their children could spend their summers along the lake.
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As is the case with many families, there are times each year when Jim and Sharon focus their attention on gift giving.
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Nancy and David were dedicated volunteers. Over the years, they had seen many individuals helped by the good work of their favorite charity.