A letter from President Phipps

In May, billionaire Robert F. Smith surprised the graduates of Morehouse College in Georgia with extraordinary generosity. During his Commencement address, he promised to pay off each student’s college debt, a gift estimated to amount to $40 million. The media seized the story, in part, I believe, because Smith’s act of generosity was so unexpected and so significant to the women and men of Morehouse.

Few people have the financial means to donate millions of dollars. Generosity, however, has little to do with the amount of the gift and more with the heart of the giver. For all 110 years of Messiah’s history, the College has been blessed abundantly by the generosity of those who believe in our educational mission.

A few years ago, the Development Office at Messiah College received a surprise donation. Celia Lascarides, an international student from Greece who attended Messiah Junior College from 1955-56, was reflecting on her life and career and recalled how her single year at Messiah gave her such a hospitable start in the U.S.

Celia says she fondly remembers living in Hoffman Hall, where she made incredible friends. Her participation on the debate team and in a group for international students set her on course to pursue her studies and vocation, eventually becoming a professor of early childhood education at Boston University.

My colleague Jon Stuckey, executive director of development, recalls receiving a check from Celia completely out of the blue—more than 60 years after she had left Messiah! In a phone conversation with her, she expressed how pivotal her year at Messiah was to her personal and intellectual growth. In the years since, she established a scholarship for Messiah’s early childhood education program and became a supportive friend of the College and of my leadership.

Celia certainly isn’t the only donor to surprise us. Korin Martin ’17 requested a meeting with Jon months before her graduation, and he was pleasantly surprised when Korin outlined her carefully considered plan to establish a cash gift for the Student Activities Board (SAB) Unsung Hero Award, which recognizes a student leader who works diligently behind the scenes in support of SAB goals. Korin was the inaugural recipient of the Unsung Hero Award her senior year, but at that time there was no financial gift associated with the honor. Her generosity, expressed in the creation of this fund, makes her the youngest alumnus to give in this special manner to Messiah College.

While these are more recent examples of generosity, Messiah has a long history of philanthropy. The very land and buildings that comprise campus reflect significant gifts from donors who believe wholeheartedly in the College’s mission. Gifts such as endowed scholarships and financial aid contributions have been essential to ensuring that hard-working students are able to attend Messiah and thrive in their chosen courses of study. Two years ago, Kelly, Brooke and I established the endowed Phipps Family Scholarship. We are so delighted to know we will be able to support deserving Messiah students for years to come.

When I think about people like Celia—so deeply influenced by just one year at Messiah—I am so grateful to be in a role that allows me to know the stories of people’s generosity and sacrificial giving and to see how their gifts directly benefit students and fulfill the mission of Messiah College.

Morehouse graduate Jonathan Epps told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, “With one gesture, Robert F. Smith really changed everything for me and my future. It was a revolutionary gesture by him.” Every gift, no matter the size, helps shape the future of Messiah College students and graduates. Thank you for giving!