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Impact Stories

Meet Our Donors

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Impact Stories

Meet Our Donors

Michael Degenhart

The Depth of Generosity: A Q&A with Michael Degenhart on the Loyalty and Passion of Penn Staters

A Q&A with Michael Degenhart, Assistant Vice President for Gift Planning.
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Irma and Charles Millard

A Legacy as Bright as Diamonds

Charles and Irma Millard have a unique relationship to Penn State. The founders of Four Diamonds, THON’s sole beneficiary, the pair have raised over $190 million to fight childhood cancer—and they’ve done it all with the Penn State family by their side.
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John and Stephany Romano

Breaking Down Barriers

During their careers at Penn State, John and Stephany Romano were committed to helping students to achieve success in their academic programs so that they could move on and thrive in their chosen fields. Now in retirement, they have not given up that focus—and through their recent gift to establish a charitable gift annuity (CGA), the Romanos ('72) are tackling financial barriers facing students at Penn State York.
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Tom Hess

For the Future

For Tom Hess, a 1985 graduate of Penn State, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked a renewed desire to update his estate plans. Learn more about why Tom chose to make sure that Penn State was included in those plans!
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Cynthia Bloom

Broadening Horizons for the Next Generation

By making a gift to the University Libraries through her revocable trust, Penn State alumna and supporter Cynthia "Cyndi" Bloom ('68) has solidified her commitment to enhancing students' understanding of the world while honoring her late husband, Gilbert "Gil" Dube.
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Harold and Arlene Cheatham

An Investment in the Future

Meet the Cheathams, whose gift to Penn State will advance diversity, equity, and inclusion for generations.
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Harry Oyler

Living Penn State

See how the late Harry Oyler, who credited Penn State for his success, gave back by establishing annual charitable gift annuities (CGAs)—one each year for 27 years.
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Ken Kulju

Investing in the Future

Alum Ken Kulju recognized an investment opportunity when he learned about the Penn State Giving Fund, which allows supporters to create their own personalized giving fund to benefit the University.
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Gail and Dennis Jackman

Couple Maximizes Gift to Penn State

By gifting a portion of their first home to Penn State, the Jackmans have parlayed their home into an investment in our faculty.
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Bob and Marilyn Forney

Blue and White in Their Golden Years

The romance between Bob, 90, and Marilyn Forney, 79, first took root at a game of bridge in their Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, retirement community. Married in 2010, the couple has many interests in common, including a commitment to supporting Bob's alma mater.
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Gary and Bev Mullen

Paying It Forward

As an undergraduate at Allegheny College in Meadville, Pennsylvania, Gary Mullen focused on mathematics, a subject he had fallen in love with in high school.
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Tom and Sonnie Spring

‘Home’ Is Where the Heart Is

Tom and Sonnie Spring gathered with recipients of the Thomas and Sandra Spring Scholarship last fall for the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Scholarships and Awards Banquet.
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Dennis '76 and Gail '77 Jackman

Taking Care of Your Financial Future

With an eye toward the future and a desire to honor their past, Dennis and Gail Jackman have created a fund that will boost Penn State's liberal arts programs and provide them with payments for life.
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Gary and Joanne Budge

Inspiring Student Achievement

Over the past thirty years, Gary and Joanne Budge have lived their lives with a spirit of generosity, giving their time and treasure to benefit Penn State.
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Sheldon Chaiken

Grateful Alumnus Makes a 'Deeply Satisfying' Gift

It was as a Penn State undergraduate that Sheldon Chaiken first acquired the passion for excellence that later defined his career. And this passion led him back to his alma mater to make a gift of gratitude.
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Dr. Larry Beuchat

Alumnus Creates Endowed Professorship Through Gift Planning

Dr. Larry Beuchat's fond memories of his time at Penn State moved him to make a long-term gift to recognize the Penn State faculty who inspired him and to encourage a new generation of researchers.
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Bill Lane

Gift Enables Smeal Students to Gain a Global Perspective

Penn State alumnus Bill Lane, who earned a bachelor's degree in business in 1975 and a master of public administration degree in 1979, spent most of his junior year studying abroad at the University of Cologne in Germany—and that experience is still guides his actions today.
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Vytas Pazemenas

Leaving Something Behind

When Vytas Pazemenas first came to Penn State as a freshman in 1957, he hoped that a college degree would be a path to a better life in the United States. By the time he returned in 2008, he had parlayed his degree in electrical engineering into an impressive career capped by the founding of his own successful firm.
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Reed Riker

A Generous Life and an Enduring Legacy: Reed Riker's Lifetime of Giving Supports Penn State Students

Although Reed Riker '32 Eng lived to the age of 101, his legacy at Penn State will live on much longer. Throughout his lifetime, the chemical engineering graduate, who passed away on August 11, 2012, established eleven gift annuities with the University.
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Richard Robinson

A Generous Gift of Real Estate Makes a Real Difference for PSU Students

When Richard Robinson acquired his aunt's million-dollar home and fifty-acre farm after her death, he and his cousins decided to honor their aunt's philanthropic spirit and give the land to Penn State. They would give the real estate to establish a permanent home for Penn State in the Wilkes-Barre region.
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Don Bellisario

TV Giant Pays It Forward With Endowed Scholarships

Television hit-maker Don Bellisario is grateful for the support he received at Penn State and hopes to create similar opportunities for future students. Bellisario knows how to tell a good story. As the creator of hit series like "Magnum, P.I." and "JAG," Don has been winning over television audiences for thirty years.
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Agnes and Dan Mazur

Major Estate Gift from Dan and Agnes Mazur Benefits Pennsylvania Adult Learners

Dan and Agnes Mazur's ties to Penn State run deeper than diplomas. The alumni are dedicated supporters, and their children are all currently attending Penn State. But the couple recently decided to take their involvement to another level through a gift in their estate plans.
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Peter '68 and Angela Dal Pezzo

Supporting the Faculty, Shaping the Future

Through their gift of an endowed head chair, Peter '68 and Angela Dal Pezzo are making sure that future engineering students will be able to benefit from a world-class education at Penn State.
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Eleanor and Paul Chadderton

Trusting in the Future

Paul and Eleanor Chaddertons's charitable lead trust has created significant opportunities for current and future students at Penn State Shenango.
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Stephen S. Showers

Alumnus Remembered Mother with Scholarship for Students Who Have Lost a Parent

When children lose their mother or father, they can lose the chance to pursue their educational dreams, too. Alumnus Stephen S. Showers, who died in February 2011, knew firsthand how hard it can be for these students to afford a college degree, and his estate has provided $250,000 for a University-wide scholarship that will assist families facing the emotional and financial consequences of a parent's death.
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Lynn Donald Breon

Helping the Performing Arts Through a Charitable Gift Annuity

Penn State alumnus and former employee, Lynn Donald Breon, is no stranger to Penn State. Having a particular fondness for the performing arts, Don chose to give through a charitable gift annuity, which, in addition to providing unrestricted support in the future for the University's Center for the Performing Arts, offers Don advantages of his own.
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Joe Defilippi

Creating Internships Through a Real Estate–Funded Trust

Whether he's working with steel or students, Joe Defilippi knows how to take great raw material and transform it into something extraordinary. As the director of product development for U.S. Steel, he recruited top undergraduates from Penn State New Kensington and other educational institutions for internships, and many have gone on to successful careers with the company.
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Allen '65 and Judith Weltmann

Special Rewards Come From Gifts

Self-proclaimed Penn State "fanatics," Allen '65 and Judith Weltmann simply need to drive toward University Park to feel excitement run through their veins. Penn State is Allen's alma mater, but Judi has also adopted the beloved University as her second home. Their loyalty has led them to become dedicated supporters—and they love watching their gifts come to life.
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Betty and Roger '48 Tobias

Love for Penn State and Philanthropy Grow Hand in Hand

When Betty Tobias married her husband, Roger, she gained more than a loving spouse—she formed a lifelong connection with his alma mater. "He was your typical Penn State alum," Betty says of her husband, a 1948 graduate of Penn State, who attended two years at the Schuylkill campus, spent two years in the Army, then finished at University Park. "He was...
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Raven '66 and Marv Rudnitsky '64

It's a 'Win-Win'

Giving back to Penn State is a win-win for Raven '66 and Marv Rudnitsky '64. Both have a motto they share: "Give until it feels good." That's why they decided to set up a scholarship fund with Penn State, their alma mater. Learn more about how this couple makes a difference at Penn State.
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John Lytle

Even Those of 'Little Means' Can Give Back

John Lytle, '58, doesn't consider himself "a man of means." So it was a significant decision for the retired Air Force colonel to make a $50,000 gift annuity to Penn State. Yet what John has received in return is an immeasurable sense of satisfaction when giving back to others. John explains, "I can tell you it feels wonderful to give money away to a worthy institution like Penn State...
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Barrie '78 and Barb Pease

A Lifetime of Learning, A Legacy of Giving

For Barrie Pease, '78, many of the varied occupations and successful endeavors throughout his life have been based on one common connection: the education and experiences he gained while at Penn State Berks. Barrie, a member of the first graduating class in the Law Enforcement and Community Justice Program through Penn State Berks, recalls, "The education I received at Penn State was...
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Sarah Kalser

Biochemist Enjoys Opportunity to Support Penn State Researchers

As a biochemist who spent 25 years of her 40-year career working in research administration, Sarah Kalser ('51 AGR) knows the value of funding to a scientist. When she made her estate plans in the late 1980s, she decided that $100,000 from her retirement funds would ultimately support researchers in Penn State's College of Agricultural Sciences through the...
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Goals for Giving

"Penn State has always been dear to our hearts," says Joyce '50 SCI and Charlie '51 LIB Mathues. "We met at Penn State, spent many happy years there, and have enjoyed our return visits to the campus."
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Frank Wawrynovic

Wawrynovic Leaves Meaningful Legacy to Penn State

Frank Wawrynovic lived an incredible life filled with many challenges, hardships, uncertainties, and pain, as well as love, friendship, and generosity. He was a humble man who never questioned the obstacles he encountered along his life journey, but looked at each crossroad as an accomplishment and experience. Born in 1917 in Osceola Mills, Pennsylvania, Frank started out his career with...
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A charitable bequest is one or two sentences in your will or living trust that leave to Penn State University a specific item, an amount of money, a gift contingent upon certain events or a percentage of your estate.

an individual or organization designated to receive benefits or funds under a will or other contract, such as an insurance policy, trust or retirement plan

"I give to Penn State University, a nonprofit corporation currently located at c/o Office of Gift Planning, 329 Innovation Boulevard, Suite 313, State College, PA 16803-6606, or its successor thereto, ______________ [written amount or percentage of the estate or description of property] for its unrestricted use and purpose."

able to be changed or cancelled

A revocable living trust is set up during your lifetime and can be revoked at any time before death. They allow assets held in the trust to pass directly to beneficiaries without probate court proceedings and can also reduce federal estate taxes.

cannot be changed or cancelled

tax on gifts generally paid by the person making the gift rather than the recipient

the original value of an asset, such as stock, before its appreciation or depreciation

the growth in value of an asset like stock or real estate since the original purchase

the price a willing buyer and willing seller can agree on

The person receiving the gift annuity payments.

the part of an estate left after debts, taxes and specific bequests have been paid

a written and properly witnessed legal change to a will

the person named in a will to manage the estate, collect the property, pay any debt, and distribute property according to the will

A donor advised fund is an account that you set up but which is managed by a nonprofit organization. You contribute to the account, which grows tax-free. You can recommend how much (and how often) you want to distribute money from that fund to Penn State or other charities. You cannot direct the gifts.

An endowed gift can create a new endowment or add to an existing endowment. The principal of the endowment is invested and a portion of the principal’s earnings are used each year to support our mission.

Tax on the growth in value of an asset—such as real estate or stock—since its original purchase.

Securities, real estate, or any other property having a fair market value greater than its original purchase price.

Real estate can be a personal residence, vacation home, timeshare property, farm, commercial property, or undeveloped land.

A charitable remainder trust provides you or other named individuals income each year for life or a period not exceeding 20 years from assets you give to the trust you create.

You give assets to a trust that pays our organization set payments for a number of years, which you choose. The longer the length of time, the better the potential tax savings to you. When the term is up, the remaining trust assets go to you, your family or other beneficiaries you select. This is an excellent way to transfer property to family members at a minimal cost.

You fund this type of trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. You can also make additional gifts; each one also qualifies for a tax deduction. The trust pays you, each year, a variable amount based on a fixed percentage of the fair market value of the trust assets. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Penn State as a lump sum.

You fund this trust with cash or appreciated assets—and may qualify for a federal income tax charitable deduction when you itemize. Each year the trust pays you or another named individual the same dollar amount you choose at the start. When the trust terminates, the remaining principal goes to Penn State as a lump sum.

A beneficiary designation clearly identifies how specific assets will be distributed after your death.

A charitable gift annuity involves a simple contract between you and Penn State where you agree to make a gift to Penn State and we, in return, agree to pay you (and someone else, if you choose) a fixed amount each year for the rest of your life.
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