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1. A Message from President David Eisler and Ferris Foundation Board Chair Kurt Hofman
2. Partnership with Grand Rapids Council Yields West Michigan Opportunity Scholarship
3. Faculty Member Teresa K. Cook's Planned Gift Funds Scholarship Endowment
4. Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center Celebrates One Year of Service
5. John Celestino Scholarship Supports PGA Professional Golf Management Students
6. Renovated Swan Annex Approaches First Anniversary of Dedication
7. Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan Training Facility Opens
8. Foundation for Excellence Benefit Supports Worthy Students, Honors Trustee
9. The Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge
10. Now & Always Campaign Statistics
12. Hagerman Pharmacy Building Reopens after Renovation
13. About The Ferris Foundation
WITH APPRECIATION
This has been a historic year for donor support at Ferris State University. Thanks to you, this has been our most successful fundraising year ever. Our comprehensive capital campaign, “Now and Always,” has now passed the $92-million mark and is making an important difference for our University, our programs and, most importantly, our students.
We are pleased to share with you some wonderful examples of how our supporters are making an impact. We believe you will enjoy reading about the new Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center and the Hagerman Pharmacy Building grand opening. And, the tremendous support of our faculty, staff, alumni and friends in the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge is creating a new legacy of scholarship support for our students.
At the 2019 Foundation for Excellence benefit, Opportunity Scholar and pre-science major Shayla Hurt shared how her scholarship from The Ferris Foundation has propelled her closer to earning her degree and her dream of becoming a pediatrician. Her words resonate with us, and represent the challenges and dreams of many of our students –
“Education is a necessity; however it is priced as a luxury. I am not first generation; I do not qualify for any Pell grants or work study. This scholarship has helped strengthen my opportunity to reach my goals. I have what it takes to not only be a successful student, but an outstanding leader both academically and in the community. This scholarship is helping me turn my dreams into reality.”
There is more on our Gala and Now and Always campaign updates here.
With your support and generosity our collective future is bright and promising. Because of donors like you, we are expanding our curriculum, evolving coursework to meet industry demands, building new laboratories and buildings, and creating infinite opportunities for our students to move forward.
On behalf of our university, our faculty, staff, students and dedicated volunteers, we are so very thankful for your support each and every step of the way. Together we are establishing a powerful legacy that makes a difference in the lives of our students, faculty and staff…Now and Always.
David L. Eisler, president Ferris State University
Kurt Hofman, chair Ferris Foundation Board of Directors
GROWING OPPORTUNITY WITH THE GRAND RAPIDS COUNCIL
For many students in need, merit-based scholarships make a college education possible. But what happens when a student’s academic performance is very good but falls just short of scholarship requirements?
In the West Michigan area, there are talented students who aren’t eligible for scholarships because they come in just under the usual scholarship GPA. That’s why The Ferris Foundation’s Grand Rapids Council developed The West Michigan Opportunity Scholarship. The scholarship broadens financial assistance beyond those who are already high-achieving, creating a base of support to allow more West Michigan students to succeed.
The scholarship is funded by a 1: 1 match of proceeds from the council’s annual Growing Opportunity: A Partner Celebration event, which offers attendees a behind-the-scenes look at the council’s collaborations and initiatives to set students in West Michigan up for success.
For more information about the West Michigan Opportunity Scholarship and the Growing Opportunity celebration, visit https://www.ferris.edu/giving/growing/.
AN ACTION PLAN FOR SUCCESS
The Teresa K. Cook Memorial Accounting Scholarship Endowment
College of Business Accounting Program faculty member Dr. Teresa Cook’s Ferris journey began like that of many Ferris students: She had exceptional academic promise and an educational opportunity that was challenged by lack of financial support.
“I really struggled to pay for school as a student,” Cook (B ’82) said. “Despite having strong ACT scores and scholastic achievements, and very limited means of family support, there were just no scholarships available to help then. That was my push. I did not have the money to be here for four years, so I took advantage of CLEP tests, and I enrolled in all of the classes allowed within the block credit system of the time to finish my degree in three years. It was high-stress, all the time, but I was determined.”
The university’s Now and Always comprehensive campaign case for support shows that the financial struggles for Ferris students are just as real today. Over the past two decades, traditional government funding for higher education has sharply declined. In Michigan, a state at the epicenter of the recent recession, appropriations for higher education have not kept pace with tuition. Out-of-pocket costs for students, who must make up the difference, have risen dramatically. Graduates from Michigan public universities rank 12th nationally in total student debt. At Ferris, the average student leaves campus owing more than $35,000.
This reality affects all students but hits those with the least financial means the hardest. On average, 40 percent of Ferris students qualify for federal Pell Grants and state Tuition Incentive Program (TIP) assistance, meaning they come from very low-income families. Ferris students are often the first in their families to attend college, and, when they pursue a degree, their families are typically able to offer little or no financial support. As a result, our students borrow heavily, work part-time jobs, incur credit-card debt and extend their time-to-degree. They graduate with a large debt load, which takes them a decade or more to pay off. This leads them to delay things like buying a home, starting a family and saving for retirement.
Years later, as a Ferris faculty member, Cook witnessed her own students struggling with challenges that she remembered all too well, and she decided to take action. Through The Ferris Foundation and her personal estate plan, she established the Teresa K. Cook Memorial Accounting Scholarship Endowment.
“When I decided to establish the scholarship, I structured it to support upper-level students who have already completed an internship, who are working really hard to stay on track to graduate on time, and who just need a little help to get there,” Cook commented. “My view is that this scholarship is a reward for the student who already has skin in the game. It provides the relief they need to finish their degree.” Dr. Cook’s endowment will provide more than $5,000 in student aid annually, into perpetuity.
Cook’s passion to support students also extends to Bulldog Athletics. While a student, she was a member of the Ferris Marching Band, an experience that afforded her the opportunity to perform at numerous football games.
“Being part of that group, playing at those games, cheering on our teams--these were some of the best times I had as a student,” said Cook. “I think it is important to support those programs so that our current students can enjoy the same types of experiences, and our athletes and coaches have the support they need to compete.”
Cook shared that one of her goals as a faculty member is to talk to students about their futures as alumni and accounting professionals, and to show them that giving back to future Bulldogs ensures everyone’s success.
“I share with them that I give back to ensure others will have similar opportunities. At the heart of why I give back is the fact that people helped me along the way,” Cook said. Paying it forward is important, and I do not just choose Ferris, but I choose to support a number of causes that are important to me. I am on the board of Project Starburst, a local food bank, and I volunteer with my church. I believe that giving back is about supporting opportunity for those who really want to take advantage of it.”
Cook wants others to be aware that paying it forward is something that can be planned ahead of time.
“My recommendation for colleagues and alumni approaching retirement is to engage in some good estate planning, and perhaps, through an understanding of what you have and what you need, there may be an opportunity for you to give back in a major way and to enjoy the impact you can have on students while you are still here,” she said.
As Cook prepares to retire at the end of this academic year, she hopes many others will join her to do more to support the next generation of Bulldogs.
“Ferris is where I started my career, and Ferris is where I will end my career. My hope is that others here at Ferris and fellow alumni who have enjoyed success and saved well for retirement can also take advantage of this opportunity to pay it forward with our students,” Cook said. “If you can, why wouldn’t you?”
To learn more about The Ferris Foundation, the university’s Now and Always Campaign, or to find more information about making a planned or estate gift to Ferris, please visit https://www.ferris.edu/giving.
KEN JANKE SR. GOLF LEARNING CENTER OFFERS YEAR-ROUND SKILL-BUILDING
As Ferris’ Ken Janke Sr. Golf Learning Center approaches one year of service, its benefits for Professional Golf Association
Golf Management Program (PGM) students and the university’s men’s and women’s golf teams has come into clearer focus.
Situated on Ferris’ Katke Golf Course, the 9,500 square-foot, two-story, $3.5-million facility boasts three heated indoor hitting bays, an indoor putting green and an array of four TrackMan golf simulators, and is positioned as one of the top five facilities in the United States in terms of virtual play presentation. It serves as a resource for year-round skill development by students and team members when winter weather prevents outdoor practice. It was formally opened in June 2019.
“No one can top the level of simulation we get to experience here,” said Katke employee Jayson Howell, a junior from Lansing who transferred to Ferris seeking the Bachelor of Science in PGM.
“The marriage of technology will help us keep our games strong in any season. I believe it helps make the top PGM program in the nation even better.”
Ferris’ Professional Golf Association Golf Management program continues its relationship with the PGA of America, and was the first such program in the U.S. to be approved by the PGA.
The Michigan Golf Hall of Fame, which Janke founded in 1982, found its permanent home at Ferris in 2013. The collection of plaques, portraits and memorabilia honoring more than 120 MGHOF inductees is on display in the center.
A LEGACY THAT SUPPORTS THOSE WHO COME NEXT
Celebrating The John Celestino Scholarship
Famed golfer Ben Hogan once stated, “The most important shot in golf is the next one.”
Nearly 30 years ago, the membership of Cascade Hills Country Club in Grand Rapids, Michigan, established a scholarship endowment with The Ferris Foundation to provide financial support to the next generation of golf professionals enrolled in Ferris State University’s Professional Golf Association Golf Management Program (PGM) and to honor the career legacy of their long-time golf professional, John Celestino.
Celestino’s reputation extends well beyond the local community, with golf professionals around the country often referring to him as the “professional’s professional.”
“I have known John for over 35 years and have seen first-hand why the membership of Cascade Hills Country Club have such great respect and admiration for him,” said Mark Wilson, director of PGM player development at Ferris and longtime PGA Rules Official.
“He was committed to ensuring that all members and their guests feel welcome and are treated like family, and is the living example of what we hope many of our PGM students will become.”
Over the past four years, the endowment originally established in Celestino’s name has grown by more than $500,000, thanks to the continuing generosity of the Cascade Hills membership and the availability of the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge, which matches dollar-for-dollar gifts of $1,000 or more to endowments through the university’s Now and Always comprehensive campaign.
Bob Murray, associate vice president for advancement and executive director of The Ferris Foundation, says this a perfect example of the impact the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge has in growing support for our students.
“The Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge and the Now and Always campaign are helping our donors do more for students in both the short and long term,” said Murray.
“The match essentially doubled the investment in the endowment. With that, The Ferris Foundation is able to provide more of our PGM students with a greater number of larger scholarship awards to help them pay for their education, both now and in perpetuity.”
Today, the Celestino Scholarship endowment is valued at more than $775,000 and has provided 47 students with scholarships totaling more than $185,000. This level of financial support has made a major impact on the lives and future success of Ferris PGM students.
Lansing, Michigan, native and recent PGM graduate Gavin Schmidtmann (COB ’19), said the scholarship was important in achieving his degree.
“Without this scholarship, I may not have been able to attend my final semester here, but thanks to the wonderful and generous people of Cascade Hills Country Club I was able to wrap up my time at Ferris without the added financial stress,” said Schmidtmann.
“The scholarship allowed me to not only pay my tuition for the semester but also helped me with the purchase of books for my classes. I am extremely humbled and grateful that I was selected as one of this year’s recipients and cannot thank the selection board enough, as well as the wonderful PGM staff, who helped me every step of the way.”
And, for recent PGM graduate Isabella Flack (COB ’19), receiving this scholarship meant much to her and her family.
“The process to receive the scholarship award was nerve-racking, refined my career self-discovery, and is something I will take with me for the rest of my PGA career,” said Flack. “This scholarship increases my drive to become a well-rounded head golf professional in the future and has helped motivate me to mentor younger PGA Golf Management students and help them strive in school,”
Through the Now and Always campaign, the growth and availability of scholarship support further distinguishes the PGM program at Ferris among competitors throughout the nation. Not only is the program the first of its kind with the largest alumni base, but it also has the resources to attract and significantly support students who are ready to move forward with the best start possible for careers in the golf industry.
The John Celestino Scholarship is the College of Business’ largest endowment. PGM students not only receive a PGA education but also a bachelor’s degree in business.
Learn more about The Ferris Foundation, the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge and endowment creation by visiting https://www.ferris.edu/giving.
“My family and I are grateful for the opportunities this award provided me. Receiving this scholarship has helped in reducing my financial burdens and provided assistance for me as I continued pursuing my PGM education. I am very thankful for the generosity of the Celestino Scholarship.”
Katelin Randolph (COB ’19), of Gratiot, Michigan.
RENOVATED SWAN ANNEX APPROACHES ONE-YEAR ANNIVERSARY OF DEDICATION
With advanced technical skills such as welding and manufacturing in increasingly high demand, the renovated Swan Annex is poised to play a major role in driving the Michigan economy and workforce, offering additional state-of-the-industry laboratories so that the university’s Welding Engineering Technology and Manufacturing Engineering Technology programs can enroll even more students to serve demand.
Officially dedicated in April 2019, the Swan Annex increased laboratory space for the programs to approximately 22,600 square feet. The facility makes available seven specialized spaces with the latest welding industry equipment and technology for practical, hands-on education at all levels of the programs. Lecture spaces now include both a 60-seat room and a tiered 82-seat facility dedicated for theoretical welding education.
Welding Engineering Technology Associate Professor and Program Coordinator Jeffrey Carney said the renovation has provided space for additional laboratories, which allows the program to admit more students to its associate and bachelor’s degree programs.
“Creating greater access and opportunity for our students was a key consideration in this project,” Carney said.
“They are very excited by the new facilities, and all they can offer in terms of their learning. Parents of our students are glad that these amenities are available, and that the facilities promote greater health and safety. Our visitors are awed by what they find in the new laboratories.”
School of Design and Manufacturing Director Mark Dunneback, an associate professor of Manufacturing Technology, said the facilities are a great recruitment tool for all programs in the College of Engineering Technology.
“These brighter, more modern facilities really speak to the current state of affairs in welding, and manufacturing,” Dunneback said.
“The donations of technology and equipment offered to outfit the laboratories are really an expression of the value that our industry partners place in Ferris’ programs, and are of great benefit to our college.”
A $30-million collaborative investment by the State of Michigan and the university, the annex was funded by a $22.5-million state appropriation and $7.5 million in financial contributions and in-kind equipment acquisition by the university.
To make a gift to support the Swan Annex, visit https://www.ferris.edu/giving/NowandAlways/priorities-programs.htm.
For more information about the Swan Annex renovation, visit https://www.ferris.edu/HTMLS/news/archive/2019/april/swan-annex.htm.
ASPHALT PAVEMENT ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN TRAINING FACILITY OPENS
Ferris’ Institute for Construction Education and Training’s Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan Training Facility has opened its doors to students and partners, with expanded laboratory and lecture space.
The facility is a resource for technician training in roadbuilding practices such as sampling and inspection of aggregate roadbed materials, hot-mix asphalt sampling and testing, and supervision of paving operations, which is required by the Michigan Department of Transportation.
Updates to the facility were necessary to keep students and industry professionals up-to-date in their certification. Ferris was recently awarded five-year contracts by the state of Michigan to continue aspects of this instruction.
“Our industry partners, such as consultants, materials suppliers and equipment companies, recognize this training as a key element in the viability of their service and success. The new APAM Training Facility has a significant role in Michigan’s ability to adequately respond to and improve upon its deteriorating road system,” said the College of Engineering Technology’s Thomas Larabel, director of ICET.
The new facility is part of Ferris’ Now and Always comprehensive campaign, and industry partners have provided $600,000 in support of the $2.6 million project.. The Asphalt Pavement Association of Michigan provided a $1-million match for the project, and Ferris is applying $500,000 from course fees paid for ICET instruction as well as an additional $500,000 from the university to meet the APAM match.
To make a gift to support the APAM facility, visit https://www.ferris.edu/giving/NowandAlways/priorities-programs.htm.
For more information on ICET visit https://www.ferris.edu/CET/built-env/icet/news.htm.
BENEFITING PURPOSE AND PASSION
Foundation for Excellence Benefit Supports Worthy Students, Honors Valued Trustee
On Nov. 1, 2019, The Ferris Foundation held its 17th annual Foundation for Excellence Benefit to raise funds for student scholarships and grants for faculty or staff initiatives, and to build awareness and momentum for all of the university’s philanthropic endeavors.
As Shayla Hurt took the podium to speak as the benefit’s featured scholarship recipient, she was excited to share her story, her purpose and passion for studying pre-science, and what brought her to Ferris State University.
“I first started my educational pursuit as a high school student enrolled in Kent Intermediate School District’s nursing program, which partnered with Ferris State University. It was there that I fell in love with FSU and then that I decided that Ferris was the school for me,” Hurt told the crowd of nearly 600 guests at the DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Hurt spoke of her substantial educational and professional goals. After graduating from Ferris, she plans to attend medical school to become a pediatrician serving low-income children and families. She also reflected on her challenges and how receiving the Foundation’s Opportunity Scholarship was helping her move forward.
“Education is a necessity; however, it is priced as a luxury. I am not first generation; I do not qualify for Pell grants or work-study,” said Hurt. “This scholarship has helped strengthen my opportunity to reach my goals and turn my dreams into reality.”
The evening’s program included a special video commemorating the university’s 135th anniversary and providing updates on the its Now and Always comprehensive fundraising campaign, which has raised more than $92 million of its $115 million campaign goal. Twenty Opportunity Scholars and seven grant projects were recognized, along with several recent transformative donations to the Now and Always campaign, including
- A $1.5 million gift from the Riley Foundation, supporting the Card Wildlife Education Center;
- A $2 million estate gift from alumna Kathy
- Seckinger (’83) and husband Mark Seckinger, supporting endowed scholarships for Health Professions students;
- A Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge gift from recent graduate Chandler Blatt (’19), who established the Building Bulldogs Scholarship Endowment for students in the Construction Management Program;
- A $350,000 gift from President David and Patsy Eisler that will be matched by the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge to create $700,000 in new scholarship support. Established in memory of Mrs. Eisler’s late adoptive parents, the Norris and Irene Johnson Scholarship Endowment will provide financial support to youth who have aged out of foster care and are pursuing bachelor’s degrees.
- A $1 million donation from the Pulte Family Charitable Foundation in memory of William J. Pulte, founder of Pulte Homes Inc. Matched by the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge, $700,000 will establish a $1.4 million scholarship endowment, and $300,000 will support the Construction Management Experiential and Technical Learning Endowment and naming of the William J. Pulte Construction Practices Laboratory in The Granger Center for Construction & HVACR.
Guests had the unique opportunity to explore several of the latest Ram truck models on display during the evening, courtesy of alumnus and Ferris Trustee Robert Hegbloom (’86) who delivered the evening’s keynote address.
Hegbloom’s motivational address began with reflection on the lessons he learned early in life and how those lessons, coupled with his passion for baseball and automobiles, helped him get to where he is today.
An athlete in high school, Hegbloom was recognized as one of the top 18 baseball players in Michigan and had the opportunity to play the sport collegiately at Ferris. While at Ferris, he succeeded on the field and in the classroom, graduating with his associate degree in Automotive Body Technology and bachelor’s degree in Automotive and Heavy Equipment Management. He also built a network that landed him multiple jobs offers locally and, ultimately, an entry-level opportunity to work for Chrysler in the Washington, D.C., area.
Throughout his 33-year career, Hegbloom believed in the principles of working hard, being resourceful, and building relationships. As a result, his career blossomed. He began his career in service and parts management, and later advanced to marketing, brand management and advertising, vehicle launches, and product leadership and planning. Hegbloom served in executive leadership as vice president of RAM Brand International of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles from 2016 until his retirement in 2019.
Following Hegbloom’s remarks, Eisler and representatives from the university’s College of Engineering Technology, including Dean Richard Goosen, faculty emeritus (and one of Hegbloom’s most influential professors) Newell Johnson, faculty member Patrick English and two students joined Hegbloom on the stage and presented him with the college’s Outstanding Alumni Award.
“This event is always special because it is a celebration of the lives changed for the better, and of a university that continues to advance due to the generosity of our alumni, friends and partners. My hope is that the event will continue to grow every year so that the impact we have continues to move all of Ferris forward,” said Bob Murray, associate vice president for Advancement and executive director of The Ferris Foundation.
The 2020 Ferris Foundation for Excellence Benefit will be held on Friday, Nov. 6. To learn more about The Ferris Foundation and the Now and Always campaign, please visit https://www.ferris.edu/giving.
THE FERRIS FUTURES SCHOLARSHIP CHALLENGE
Ferris’ effort to build an unprecedented $36-million resource to provide $1.5 million in support for students each year continues its momentum.
Through its Now and Always comprehensive campaign, the university aims to grow scholarships substantially, with a stretch goal of doubling its scholarship endowment via the Ferris Futures Scholarship Challenge.
Since launching the challenge, the university has seen 5,510 gifts and pledges to new and existing endowments, with more than $8.74 million in new gift commitments from Ferris benefactors. With the match, this represents more than $17.48 million in new endowed funds.
The challenge matches endowment gifts dollar-for-dollar, allowing donors to endow scholarships with gifts of $12,500 or more.
Endowment gifts:
- 2,853 by friends of the university
- 1,780 by alumni
- 877 by faculty and staff
For more information on the Ferris Futures Scholarship Program, visit https://www.ferris.edu/giving/ferrisfutures/homepage.htm.
COMPREHENSIVE CAMPAIGN CONTINUES
Today’s pharmacy practice models demand learning environments and simulation labs where students are exposed to up-to-date techniques, technology and equipment. The pharmacy building at Ferris’ Big Rapids campus was built in 1972 and needed critical modernization, replacement of aging equipment and updated technology in order to keep Ferris graduates current in a competitive market.
Work began in Fall 2018 to renovate the facility, and, in Fall 2019, it reopened its doors with amenities including updated classrooms, equipment, labs and storage spaces. A rededication ceremony on Sept. 27, 2019, brought leaders of the Pharmacy Forward initiative, part of the university’s comprehensive campaign, back to campus to celebrate.
THE FERRIS FOUNDATION
The Ferris Foundation is the fundraising arm of Ferris State University. Since 1991, The foundation has been responsible for receiving, investing and distributing endowment gifts, which provide a source of perpetual support for Ferris State University.
In January 2015, The Ferris Foundation’s role expanded beyond managing endowments, becoming the umbrella organization that receives and acknowledges all gifts to the university, including annual gifts that meet present needs, with the goals of enhancing stewardship and communication with donors, creating a more efficient and unified approach to philanthropy, and further strengthening the foundation’s mission as a valued and trusted intermediary between Ferris State University and its donors.
For a complete list of members of The Ferris Foundation Board of Directors, visit https://www.ferris.edu/giving/ferris-foundation/board.htm.