PSU Magazine Spring 1994

Big check is no surprise It i n't everyday the1 t someone walk s off the stree t and presents the Uni ve rsity wi th a check fo r 25,000. But the day it happened I w<rn't surprised. La t term, a Park Blocks ne ighbor walked into Accounts Paya ble in Neuberge r Hall. he sa id ·he wanted to do something fo r th e U ni versity, e1nd the depa rtment hee1d, Joanne Pranger, courte– ously discussed options with her. The next day she returned with a check fo r $2 5,000. I visited with the wome1 n, who wi he · to remain anonymous, and di ·covered that she ha made herse lf part of the Uni ve rsity community. he live in the ne ighborhood, has taken cl as ·es at PSU and uses our fac ili t ies. he has had po itive experi ences on campu ·, re info rced by Joanne's good customer ervice. This woman is proud of Portland State and wants to make a di ffe rence fo r the institu t ion and its rudent ·. I like to ca ll this kind of indi vidual a true philanthropist: giving fo r th e joy of giving and no t expecting any kind of return . But the return is huge in the lives it will change by prov iding individuals a quality educat ion . I be lieve in Portland rate. I know P U is a good investment, and that's wh y the gift didn 't surprise me. When you see me in th e community I will be te lling P U's story and asking support fo r our students, our fac ulty, our programs, and ultimately the many lives PSU affects. Regina Borum , Exec uti ve Director U ni versity Developmen t 18 P u Magaz ine US West, Meier & Frank come through for students The Black Employees' Telecommuni – cat ions A soc iation (BET A ) of U Wes t Communicat ions and the Me ier & Frank May Company recently presented fi\·e Portland Sta te student from underrepresented group with $ 1,000 scho larships. The fo ur BETA/US West sc ho lar– ships were awarded to PSU Africa n– American undergraduates based on academic perfo rmance, community service, and financ ial need . The two Meier & Frank May Company -cholarsh ips were awarded to minority business or libera l an s students on the bas is of meri t. "These rec ipients arc rea ll y represen– tative of many P U studen t who jugg le multiple responsibilities including family, work , and university studi es," says Paul ette Watanabe, director of Educat ion Eq uity Programs and Services at PSU. O ne BETA sc ho larship winner recently returned to schoo l after wo rk– ing 10 years as an ea rl y childhood teac her fo r A lbina Head Start in northea ·t Portl and . The money is helping her to pursue a bachelor's degree whil e she continues to wo rk part-time e1 t th e O regon Museum of cience and Industry, coordinating an after- chnol sc i nee and math program in north east Portl and . A nother r c ipient en ·es as youth coordinarnr fo r th e ew A:usa C hristi an T ra ining Center in north Portland. A fte r graduation he hope · to a id troubled youth and inst ill in th em the importance of getting an education . The BETA/US West sc ho larships came abo ut th rough a matc hing fund partner hip among BETA, rh e U West Found ation and the P U Founda– t ion . BET A is an African-American employees group from U West om– municat ions and AT&T ompany, according to Maggie Ward , BET A member and investment spcc ia li ·t fo r US We ·r Communi cat ions in Portland. P U i the onl y univer ity to which Me ier & Frank o ffered the ·e ·cho lar– sh ips, says Corey DuBrowa, manage r of executive recruiting and training fo r Meier & Frank, Portland. "PSU 's partic ipation in the business community i· ju ·t immense," says DuBrowa. "There's an unbelievable amount of talent at Meier & Frank– from entry level to top executive pos ition - that is made up of people who are products of the PSU campu ." DuBrowa ·ay 25 of Meier & Frank's executive · are P U graduates. Giving a piece to PIE Portland rate fa culty and staff have donated more than $ 18,000 to Univer-i ty programs during PSU's ·econd annual Partner In Education Campa ign (PIE). early 150 faculty and ·raff p·utic ipated in the winter fund drive, earmarking their gifts for student scho larships, the library, the campus technology plan, the Fund fo r Di versity, academic programs, and o th er needs of the University. "Thb kind of suppo rt sends a me sage to others in the community that we at PSU jo in them in suppo rting our University," says Mary C umpston '5 7 a PIE S tee ring Committee member and director of PSU 's Ca reer enter. Contributions were up 33 percent over last year, according to Donna chaeffer '66, MSW '82, devel opment offi cer fo r annual giving. She says the committee's goa l to rai ·e the level of part icipation in PIE and get more people involved was rea li::ed. Last year's fund drive ra ised 12,000. Faculty and staff giving to the U niver– sity th roughout the yea r totaled $65,000, according to chaeffer. "Pri va te giving is of growing impor– tance to Portland S tate since the state funds onl y about a third of the U ni ve rsity's budge t," says chaeffer. "PIE provide an avenue fo r faculty and staff to support PSU ' annual fund along wi th alumni , parents, and fri ends."