Giving With Purpose Spotlights, April 2012
"The future is in the hands of those who can give tomorrow's generations valid reasons to live and hope."—Pierre Teilhard de Chardin
Her motivation to provide scholarships to students is two-fold: she was raised to
give back to others and she knows that many students are deserving of a college education
but need financial assistance to obtain their degrees. She elaborates by explaining
that her parents always taught her that if you are blessed with certain advantages,
you owe it to others to help them. Her hope is that each Keene scholarship recipient
will one day give to future, deserving students who are financially vulnerable.At
Saint Xavier University, Dr. Carol A. Keene is one individual who gives our students
valid reasons to hope. Dr. Keene has endowed three scholarships at Saint Xavier—scholarships
that provide students with the hope of achieving their dreams. She is also a member
of the President's Club—Saint Xavier's leadership giving society—and The Guild, which
means she has chosen to make a planned giving commitment to ensure that Saint Xavier
has the financial resources to continue its rich tradition of academic excellence
for years to come.
Speaking of students, Dr. Keene has one solid piece of advice for current and future students at Saint Xavier: "Follow your heart with the discipline you choose. Many people will tell you to study X or Y simply because you will be more financially successful. But if you do this, you may not be as happy."
Dr. Keene followed her heart. She began her college career majoring in chemistry. However, when she met Sister Dominica, "a 4'11" little dynamo in her 60s," she changed her major to philosophy, finding this subject "absolutely irresistible." This decision had a profound impact on her career and life. In her words, "Xav's defined my life."
If you have thought about donating to Saint Xavier University, Dr. Keene's best advice is very simple: "Do it!" Dr. Keene, a retired philosophy professor and Dean of Humanities at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, is committed to liberal education. She gives to Saint Xavier because it remains a "staunch proponent of liberal education."
If you would like to learn more about the President's Club or endowed scholarships, please contact Jill Roggeveen at 773-298-3317 or roggeveen@sxu.edu.
If you would like to learn more about The Guild and making a planned gift, please contact Sister Ann Flanagan at 773-298-3543 or flanagan@sxu.edu.
Ashley August is a senior student, a volleyball player, and an aspiring high school
math teacher. Saint Xavier University has given her the opportunity to pursue her
dreams while playing a sport she loves, and one day hopes to coach.
Ashley is grateful for the opportunities, both academically and athletically, that Saint Xavier has given her. But, the people and community are her favorite part. She explains, “The people are all so caring. The faculty and students have really made Saint Xavier a special place for me. I have made many lifelong friends. I know that I can go to my teachers to get the help I need to be successful. It is important that my teachers make me feel that I can be successful and help me to do so.”
Volleyball has long been an important part of Ashley’s life, so it is natural that her most memorable moment on campus is winning the CCAC conference tournament her junior year and going to the first round of nationals. She calls this experience a “dream come true.” This year, the team also made history with the program’s best record to date of 30 wins and only 5 losses.
Ashley, like many of our students, understands that she would not have the opportunity to attend Saint Xavier, receive a valuable education, or play her favorite sport, without the support of scholarships from loyal donors. In her opinion, scholarships have paved her way to getting a college degree and allow her to come out of school debt free—a very uncommon occurrence in today’s world. Instead of worrying about paying off student loans, she will be able to focus on finding a job.
If there is one thing Ashley would like to say to donors, it is: “Give to others so one day they will be able to give back. Your kindness and generosity helps more than you can possibly know. It makes all the difference in the world. Thank you!”
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