Alumni and Friends Making an Impact

As she was growing up, Donna Fournier Nock ’83 witnessed her father persevere as a nontraditional student. It was a struggle. He worked full time during the day to support the family and went to school at night to improve his family’s prospects.

“I was a little girl when he was doing this, and he ended up being very successful. So I want to give people who have not had much support an opportunity to pursue their goals with as few financial distractions as possible,” shared Nock.

A long-time volunteer and alumni community leader in Nashville, Tennessee, Nock has maintained her Dayton connection and, over the years, has been a consistent donor to UD, as noted by her membership in the Front Porch Society.

More recently, though, Nock had been looking to support a program at UD that aligned with her vision, was growing and needed further funding to realize its full potential. When she learned about the Flyer Promise Scholars Program, her passion for UD and combating financial obstacles for deserving students found the perfect home.

“I wanted to establish a fund that would enable students to focus completely on their education and enjoy all aspects of the college experience without being overwhelmed by additional expenses such as groceries, electricity bills and other necessities,” shared Nock. In Flyer Promise, she found a comprehensive program that offers well-rounded opportunities for the development of essential life and professional skills as well as access to resources to help students stay afloat through difficult circumstances.

The Flyer Promise Scholars program is dedicated to uplifting high-achieving, underserved students by providing them with an accessible path to a top-tier Catholic, Marianist education. Since its start in 2017, the program has played a vital role in offering crucial scholarships and easing the financial strain of housing and meal expenses. The program also fosters student success through academic support, mentoring, leadership development, and professional networking opportunities. This holistic support not only helps students afford and succeed in their education at UD but also empowers them to flourish in their future careers.

“With the various demands and distractions of the current times, college students can feel lost. The mentorship and cohesiveness that the Flyer Promise program provides to students and the accountability they hold these students to is commendable,” said Nock.

Since its establishment, the Nock Family Fund for Flyer Promise has assisted three students, two of whom have graduated. The third is a rising senior studying premedicine who has been on the dean's list for all six of his semesters at UD.

The needs covered by the Nock Family Fund for Flyer Promise range from grocery bills to assistance with apartment deposits so that students can participate in invaluable summer internships. The fund has also covered driver’s education courses, which allowed one student to save precious time commuting to work, time now spent focusing on her studies and engaging meaningfully with campus life. The fund has even helped one student manage expenses when his family faced financial hardships due to two critical health crises, one being the sudden death of the family’s primary provider.

“The students receiving these awards understand the significance of the gift given to them and take responsibility for paying it forward,” said Kathleen Henderson, director of college access, success and transition at UD. “The Nock Family Fund allows the whole student to be educated because they can be fully present in their collegiate experience.”

Earlier this year, Nock met the students who received assistance from her fund. “It was just so refreshing for my husband and me to see some of these students and know that what we're doing is going to a good place and a good cause.”