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>> Our next speaker is educator and author Darryl J. Gonzalez, Ph.D.,
who is speaking on behalf of the
Huether-McClelland family.
The Huether-McClelland family which, through
their foundation has provided scholarships for
exceptional high school students for more than 20
years, expanded their philanthropy in 2008 to
include Towson University undergraduates - fortunate for us.
The family's gift was made at the urging of Darryl's
wife, Courtney, a Towson University graduate of the
College of Liberal Arts and Hall of Fame athlete
who was granddaughter to Douglas Huether and
daughter of Cathy and George McClelland.
Inspired by the example of her family's philanthropy,
Courtney has been a steadfast supporter of her
alma mater as well.
And when she learned of a challenge grant designated
to match gifts in support of scholarships for
promising students enrolled through the Top
10 Percent Program, Courtney advocated for her
family's foundation to lend Towson University
support.
With the help of Courtney and her family and that of
many others - many others sitting in this room and
audience today - the University met the
challenge for the Top 10 Percent grant a year
early.
Over 21 top 10 scholars are in attendance today.
Are those scholars here?
Please stand up and be recognized if you are here.
(APPLAUSE)
>> Thank you.
And if it isn't enough that these scholars are
being supported, Courtney and Darryl are raising
four children of their own.
And we at Towson University are extremely
proud and humbled to know that the University enjoys
a special place in their very busy lives and that
creating pathways to education is a top
priority for them.
Darryl, who represents the family today has spent
more than 20 years in education himself,
including service as an administrator and teacher
and, most notably, as chairperson at the U.S.
House of Representatives Page School.
He is also the author of "The Children Who Ran the
Congress: A History of Congressional Pages."
Darryl has a Ph.D.
in education policy, planning and
administration from the University of Maryland,
College Park and two master of education
degrees in counselor of education, and health and
physical education.
There's no greater burden than a great potential, Darryl.
So please join me in welcoming Darryl to the stage.
(APPLAUSE)
>> Well, thank you for the introduction.
He stole most of my speech, though.
You know, I was told before the - before lunch
that it was a record crowd today, so I'm sure the
RSVPs really started rolling in when my name
went out on the invitation.
Thank you to Dr. Loeschke also, for her comments.
I'm going to reflect some of what she said.
If you've been watching the news lately, you know
she's kind of been on the hot seat for some things.
But let me tell you, it's nothing like being the
only thing standing between 250 people and
their dessert.
So I'm going to try - I'll try to keep it short.
I'm happy to be here representing the
Huether-McClelland Foundation.
Like the introduction said, the foundation was
started in 1987 by my wife's grandparents, Doug
and Anne Huether, as a way to support education
programs in Baltimore.
Also because of the need for engineers in the
family business, the foundation also focused on
engineering education.
Over the past 25 years, the foundation has grown
with contributions from only the members of the
two families, and it now supports scores of schools
and organizations in the Baltimore area whose
missions revolve around education and engineering.
The foundation has no website.
It seeks no contributions from outside sources, and
it supports its causes with little fanfare.
It's the product of a family that feels
fortunate to be in a position to help others.
In 1991, the foundation began a scholarship
program with Harford County public schools that
continues today.
And in the first year that scholarship program, 1991,
a senior named Pam Lottero ended up winning the
scholarship.
She went away to the University of Delaware,
majored in mechanical engineering.
She worked as a high school teacher and as an
engineer, and eventually earned a master's degree
and a Ph.D.
in science education.
Now, as a professor here at Towson, she trains
teachers to teach their kids engineering in
elementary school, something that is rare
across the country.
The foundation is pleased about being part of that -
the equation that has led her to such great things.
Her work with elementary students will pay off well
into the future.
So instead of touching one life in 1991, the
scholarship is touching hundreds of lives in 2013 and beyond.
And we thank Dr. Lottero-Perdue for her
service to the University.
In addition to that work, there's another connection
to talk about that my introduction alluded to.
My wife Courtney attended Towson as an undergraduate
and she was inducted into the athletic Hall of Fame
in 2006 as the first female two sport athlete.
There's a handwritten note here, it says, pause for applause.
(APPLAUSE)
>> I knew I shouldn't have sat next to her.
Because of her great experiences at Towson and
because the trustees of the foundation wanted to
involve the third generation of the family,
Courtney decided to contact the development
office a couple of years ago.
And she found out about the Top 10 Percent
Scholars Program.
She made a donation on her own because she was
inspired by its intent, because it was in line
with the intent of the family's foundation.
After making her own donation, she asked the
Huether-McClelland Foundation to consider a
gift to the Top 10 Scholars Program of its
own.
And the foundation responded by creating the
endowment that you heard abut before.
Courtney wanted to pay back the university for
everything that it had done for her - other than
making her comfortable with public speaking.
But we all know that you really can't pay back
someone for something like that.
But it is possible to pay it forward, and that's
with the foundation tries to do.
The idea has been around for centuries.
You can trace it back to the writings of Ben
Franklin.
But there are lots of contemporary examples of
organizations who try to encourage people to do
nice things for others.
The Huether-McClelland Foundation embodies this
philosophy and the family trustees are grateful for
being in a position to help others.
They have chosen to support education, yet
they expect nothing in return.
But what they do receive is the feeling of
satisfaction from helping people.
To all the scholarship winners here today, I hope
that when your careers are underway and you look back
on those people that helped you, inspired you,
challenged you, please remember to give back -
not only with a word of thanks, but also to pay it forward.
When you're in a position to help someone else,
remember what it was like when you needed help, and
remember what it was like when you received help.
The foundation found fertile soil for its
philanthropy with Dr. Lottero-Perdue and we
hope that all of you will be just as successful.
I'd like to thank you for allowing me to speak today
about the foundation a little bit.
And I'll end with something from Winston Churchill.
He said, we make a living by what we get, but we
make a life by what we give.
So thank you.
(APPLAUSE)