Breaking Away Thanks to Scholarships

When Macy Purdy ’24 recounts the journey that brought her to the University of Dayton, it starts like many others.

“There are four stoplights in my town. Most pursue a trade or go into the Army upon graduation,” said Purdy. “I believe I’m one of only four in my graduating class to go to college outside of New York.”

But the similarities end there. Purdy’s journey is her own and for her, education isn’t only about being in the classroom. The future CPA deliberately puts herself in situations she could only dream of back home.

“I really just want to push myself as much as I can, not only academically, socially and personally,” said Purdy. “I believe that in order to excel, I also need to put myself somewhere where I have the ability to grow.”

On campus, Purdy is involved with Flyer Consulting, the Hanley Sustainability Fund and the accounting fraternity, Beta Alpha Psi. Beyond Dayton’s borders, she has completed a summer internship with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Miami and plans to return to its offices again in 2023 for another internship. She is also on track to study abroad for a semester in Ireland.

And while those experiences have helped Purdy grow, they come at a cost.

“I think it's very important to weigh how much you're spending with what you're getting in return,” said Purdy. “Going to the University of Dayton is an investment in your future that not only betters you as a person but also gives you a seal of approval that's going to open a lot of doors.”

“Going to the University of Dayton is an investment in your future that not only betters you as a person but also gives you a seal of approval that's going to open a lot of doors.

For her, and other students like her, that’s where scholarships make a difference.

“I'm very grateful for my family situation. It's a lot better than a lot of other people,” said Purdy. “But I do not think I would be able to go to UD, or have the opportunities I do, without donors.”

Purdy is the recipient of three scholarships. One is the Ernst & Young Accounting Scholarship, which helps accounting majors who have a grade point average of at least 3.0 and plan to join a national public accounting firm after graduation. She is also a Mark and Jane Nocito Scholarship recipient, a fund that supports UD students with financial needs, especially those who are accounting majors. And her summer internship in Miami was possible in part because of the Heffner Internship Endowment, offered through the School of Business Administration, which helped cover Purdy’s housing costs so she could focus on that hands-on learning experience.

“I think what's really important to remember is that it’s not just about monetary gifts being given to students,” said Purdy. “It's also about how they're using that funding to their advantage and bettering the community. Scholarships break a lot of people away from patterns in their life that they were set up to follow.”

Chaminade Scholar Leads Red Scare

Where else but UD would you find a student like Jacob Mantle? He’s a Chaminade Scholar and a leader of Red Scare — as focused on exploring his faith in vocation as he is dedicated to bringing fans to a frenzy under the bright lights of UD Arena. And those are just two of the hats worn by Mantle, who was president of Red Scare last year, and this year is the vice president for external relations.

The recipient of the Dayton Newspapers Inc. Scholarship, Mantle said the scholarship has allowed him to explore more interests at UD, like getting involved with Red Scare and playing cello in the orchestra. He has also worked for the Department of Communication since his sophomore year and is working with athletics communications this year, too.

Throw in an internship over the summer with Crown Equipment and his experience through the Chaminade Scholars cohort for students in the Honors Program, and you start to get a good sense of just how involved Mantle is across campus, and why scholarships that enable students to thrive at UD are so important to the community.

“If I were talking right now to a UD donor, I’d say thank you for your philanthropy and your continued belief in UD."

“If I were talking right now to a UD donor, I’d say thank you for your philanthropy and your continued belief in UD — the academics as well as the college experience in general,” said Mantle. “Personally, I’ve been able to do so much on campus because I haven’t had to worry as much about the financial side, which has been super.”

As a student worker in communication, he’s even weighed in on the hiring of four new faculty members, adding his voice and guidance to the direction of the department. And he’s enjoyed his UD experience so much that, after graduation this spring, he is staying for another year to complete his master’s in communication, too.

“I’m thankful and excited for the challenge of a fifth year,” said Mantle. “The chance to learn more with other students pursuing their passion, and possibly having the opportunity to give back to UD by being a graduate assistant, is something I’m looking forward to.”

Mantle has certainly made the most of opportunities throughout his undergraduate career. “Sometimes I’ve been the victim of spreading myself too thin, but there are so many opportunities to choose from at UD that are worth pursuing.” Like the orchestra, which Mantle joined late in his undergraduate career.

“One thing I love about orchestra, I took from my high school director who said that, ‘music is one of the few ways where everyone’s individual pieces come together to make something super beautiful,’” said Mantle.

You don’t have to stretch that analogy far to see that scholarships that help students like Mantle come to UD are a critical instrument in creating the symphony we call community at UD.

Helping Flyers Fly

The inclusive, tight-knit community feeling he experienced while walking around the University of Dayton campus impressed Juliano Aquilino ’23 — but what really catapulted UD to his top college choice was a tour of the chemistry department’s laboratory.

Aquilino flashes an embarrassed smile when he admits UD was originally his back-up plan. “I had my mind set on a different school, but on the tour of UD I was so impressed by the lab and the research opportunities,” said Aquilino.

And while the prospect of attending UD and utilizing the top-notch research facilities was one that excited Aquilino, he acknowledges that UD may have been out of reach if not for the financial assistance he’s received.

He’s not alone — 98% of first-year students receive some sort of financial aid to offset the cost of attendance.

In Aquilino’s case, some of that financial assistance has come in the form of donor-funded scholarships. But scholarships didn’t simply help get Aquilino to UD, they’ve helped him stay for four years and have the full college experience. “The donor-funded scholarships and financial aid I’ve received have been a blessing. This is the first year I didn’t have to take out student loans — which was amazing,” said Aquilino.

Aquilino has made the most of his time at UD — getting involved in activities like Christmas on Campus and Alpha Epsilon Delta, a pre-professional health honor society — and, of course, logging hundreds of hours in the lab doing mentored research alongside faculty and presenting that research each year at UD’s Stander Symposium.

He credits Doug Daniels, a research professor of chemistry, for encouraging his desire to do research and getting him involved early in his first semester at UD. “I was still trying to figure out how to separate my whites and darks, and at the same time was getting experience in infectious disease research,” said Aquilino.

Thanks to his strong academic record and his passion for research, Aquilino has been awarded numerous scholarships, including the Carl I. Michaelis, Ph.D., Memorial Scholarship; the Daniel M. Romer, M.D., Endowed Scholarship and the William Dennis Scott Endowed Scholarship.

And donor contributions to the College of Arts and Science Dean’s Fund for Excellence supported two summers of research for Aquilino via a summer fellowship program. The Dean’s Summer Fellowship program provides an opportunity for undergraduate students to conduct summer research in any academic discipline under the guidance of a faculty mentor. Students receive a stipend as part of this fellowship.

Aquilino, who plans to continue his education and pursue a doctorate in microbiology and immunology is especially grateful he won’t be leaving UD with a huge student loan balance. “I’ve been able to attend a great school without accumulating a crazy amount of debt,” said Aquilino.

He is grateful UD has set him up for future success and for the donors for giving him a financial lift when it was most needed. “The impact of donor scholarships is incredible, specifically for students going through hard times. My family would love to help me with school, but they can’t,” said Aquilino.

Investing 107 Hours

Sophomore Caiden Guzman understands the value of time and invests it in making a positive impact on the world around him through outreach and his chosen major.

When Guzman was young, he aspired to become an astronaut. Over the years, he realized he instead wanted to be part of the team making space exploration possible.

“It is the team behind the team that lays the foundation for others to succeed,” said Guzman. “It is what my parents did for me, their parents did for them, and what I have set as the goal for my time at the University of Dayton.”

In his quest to become part of that foundational team, Guzman sought schools offering aerospace engineering degrees. He visited several schools in Ohio that had the program, as well as MIT. After the visits, UD’s program felt right to him.

He and his family talked with several people on campus, including the vice president of enrollment, the School of Engineering dean and an admission adviser who Guzman described as “incredible and caring.” Guzman decided to become a Flyer because he felt cared for from day one and UD’s mechanical engineering with an aerospace engineering concentration was the right fit for him. Another factor was the financial aid package UD offered, which included the Sheehy Memorial Scholarship.

Guzman is grateful to scholarship donors who laid a foundation on which he can succeed at the University and beyond. And the mathematician in him calculated the time given to him by not having to work to earn money, thanks to the Sheehy Memorial Scholarship — 107 hours.

And the mathematician in him calculated the time given to him by not having to work to earn money, thanks to the Sheehy Memorial Scholarship — 107 hours.

He invested that time in several University-based activities. A few highlights include:

• tutoring others as a math and physics tutor for the Multi-Ethnic Engineers Program.
• being involved in outreach activities that benefited inner-city students in Dayton through the Society of Hispanic Professional Engineers.
• winning an intramural kickball championship.

“All of these time-based activities have helped me to build my own social capital and are helping me to change the world around me,” said Guzman.

This year, he also received the Margarita Quintana-Tuss and Mark Stewart Maurice, Ph.D., Scholarship. Guzman intends to keep investing time afforded to him through scholarships in his outreach activities, like he will in his role as vice president for outreach and engagement of the UD SHPE chapter — even while taking a heavy course load of 18 credit hours this fall.

Making a difference in the world and getting an education are both important to Guzman, who shared a quote from Nelson Mandela: “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.”

Guzman is thankful for scholarships, which allowed him time to volunteer while he pursues his engineering education. He said he will do all he can to make his scholarship donors say, “this is a life we helped change, to change the world.”

Finding a New Path After Service

For Kurtis Neiman, the University of Dayton is the perfect place to redirect his future, especially since his path to becoming a Flyer isn’t what most would describe as traditional.

Neiman began his military career in 2011. During his eight years of dedicated service, Neiman was injured, subsequently leading to his honorable discharge. Soon after returning home, he found himself at a crossroads. He was working for the U.S. Postal Service, but that job aggravated his military injury. When he learned he was eligible for a U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs program called Veteran Readiness and Employment, which would cover 100% of his tuition, he decided to go back to college.

Neiman had previously taken some courses at Sinclair Community College and Wright State University. But if he was going to be a 29-year-old first-year student, Neiman wanted to be a Flyer.

“I wanted to attend the best school around, which is UD,” said Neiman.

"I wanted to attend the best school around, which is UD," said Neiman.

And Neiman’s not alone. More than 400 veteran and military-affiliated students attend undergraduate and graduate classes at the University of Dayton, and the Military and Veteran Programs and Services Center is making it easier than ever for them to focus on earning their degrees.

The University also makes sure to show appreciation for the bravery and service of our military students. Among the planned events this Veterans Day is a special Mass at the Chapel of the Immaculate Conception Friday, Nov. 11 starting at 12:30 p.m. A live stream will be available. UD’s Student Veterans Association also hosted a recent 5K run and will attend a national convention in Florida this coming January.

The focus on military and veteran students is getting noticed, and not just by students. UD earned a 2021 Military Times best colleges for veterans designation, the Ohio Department of Higher Education’s Collegiate Purple Star Award, and a 2022-23 US News best colleges for veterans designation.

As for Neiman, he is studying graphic design and animation and is on track to graduate in 2026. Eventually, he wants to start a career in television or movie production, so he is considering changing to photography and film.

“I don’t know where I saw it, but I saw a quote that said from your 30s to 40s you’re finding your job, from your 40s to 50s you’re mastering that career and from your 50s to 60s you’re training the next generation,” said Neiman. “I realized I needed to find something that I can master.”

And all of the support he’s found at UD has allowed him to focus on his true goal: a new career to provide for his family. Neiman is a father of two. His son is 5, and his daughter is 1. When she was born, they learned his wife has a heart condition and is now battling heart failure at age 26. Neiman admits he’s facing stresses that most first-year Flyers aren’t.

 “It’s a lot to juggle,” said Neiman. “The workload is sometimes stressful, but it’s doable. It’s one of those things where you have to just sit down, and it might be overwhelming, but you get it done.”

And, no matter the obstacles, Neiman says he will handle whatever comes his way because he is ready to leave his mark on the world.

Committing to UD's Future

For the past 12 years, Bill and Sue Trollinger have made regular financial contributions to the University of Dayton’s academic and athletic programs. It’s a practice they plan to continue even after they retire from their faculty positions — they vow to be donors for life.

“We have a very deep commitment to the University of Dayton,” said Sue Trollinger, professor of English. “We like to say that miracles come out of UD every day.”

The number of faculty and staff like the Trollingers donating to UD has increased in recent years. In 2019, the faculty and staff giving rate more than doubled, thanks to the first One Day, One Dayton — UD’s annual day of giving. The giving rate held strong in fiscal year 2022, with 34% of all faculty and staff (full- and part-time) making contributions — almost double the rate of several peer institutions according to fiscal year 2021 data from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education.

The gifts this past year included support through Flyer Funder — UD’s official crowdfunding platform for projects proposed by members of the campus community. Compared to the previous fiscal year, the number of faculty and staff donors who supported Flyer Funder campaigns increased by 64% and dollars contributed went up by 74%. For one campaign, faculty and staff accounted for more than half of the donors and 62% of the dollars raised.

For the Trollingers, supporting UD is personal. Bill was on the faculty in the Department of History at UD for several years before leaving for an administrative position at a different university, where Sue was also on the faculty. They realized their futures as academics and partners would best be fulfilled back in Dayton.

Bill returned to a new position in history and religious studies, teaching everything from first-year undergraduate courses to doctoral seminars. Sue soon followed him to Dayton as a lecturer in the Department of English. They married a year later, creating a blended family with four children. In 2009, Sue became a tenure-line faculty member in the Department of English and was tenured in 2012.

“UD welcomed Bill back and embraced me as well,” Sue said.

Bill directs the Core Program, an interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum in a learning-living community. Sue also teaches in Core, which offers a sequence of courses that fulfill many of the University’s Common Academic Program requirements, as well as opportunities to earn honors credits.

The Trollingers’ giving began with donations to the College of Arts and Sciences and to the Champions & Scholars Fund. They’ve steadily increased their giving each year, directing most of their funds to the Core Program.

“We’ve seen the Core Program transform so many students’ lives,” Sue said.

In recent years, they’ve enjoyed seeing UD from the perspective of their youngest children. Anna graduated in May and is heading to Indiana University Bloomington for graduate work in history; Jacob will be a junior, majoring in philosophy and music.

As they prepare for their family’s future after UD, the Trollingers are working toward solidifying a lasting gift by including UD in their will and estate planning.

“This is our commitment to the University of Dayton,” Sue said. Like the Trollingers, several other faculty and staff members have made a planned gift to support the University. The generosity of this group goes toward sustaining various areas on campus, including academics, libraries, Flyer Promise, Campus Ministry and scholarships.

“We’ve made amazing friends and colleagues through UD, and we’ve seen the transformation in our own children,” Sue said. “It’s been wonderful for our entire family. UD made miracles happen for us.”

Building a Caring Community

The moment Cedric Mwizerwa arrived at UD, he understood what community meant.

Mwizerwa first met fellow students and got to know them during the summer STEM camp on campus. “They wanted to know me, where I’m from, how I do things, what are my methods of studying and different things about my life.” And that was just day one. “People were stopping by saying hi to me, and it was just fantastic. And it continued happening daily. I kept on meeting new people.”

He grew up in Rwanda in East Africa, and his family moved to Houston, Texas, in 2018 before relocating to Centerville, Ohio, one year later where he attended high school. He chose to attend UD because it was close to home and had a good mechanical engineering program.

One of his goals for his first year at UD was to make connections with as many people as he could. When asked about making connections on campus during his first year, he said, “Oh, that is so easy. UD is just an environment of community.”

Throughout his first year on campus, he met even more Flyers by joining the French Club. He also participated in Brother to Brother — a program within the Multi-Ethnic Education and Engagement Center — and took advantage of social activities on campus, like movie nights.

The inclusiveness at UD is something that stood out to Mwizerwa. “I didn’t feel like a stranger even with my accent,” he said. “I felt like I belonged there.” And he wants to show how much he cares by extending that same sense of community and inclusion to others. “I meet international students, and I’m like, ‘Hey, I can help you!’”

During his first year as a mechanical engineering student, Mwizerwa also grew as he learned to help himself by discovering his learning style, finding where to seek help and practicing good time management. He also learned more about what it means to be an engineer. “I discovered what my options are in the field and I was surprised by how many things I could do.”

One of the things Mwizerwa is interested in pursuing is becoming an aerospace engineer and working with things that fly. He enjoyed his solid modeling class, where he learned how to design 3D images on the computer and look at the images at different angles. He looks forward to using the skills he learned in this class in his career.

Mwizerwa appreciates the Berry Family Scholarship he received to attend UD and study engineering. “It means the world to me that I was selected to receive the scholarship.”

This past spring, Mwizerwa and other recipients of the Berry Family Scholarship attended a luncheon where they met John Jr. and Charles “Chuck” Berry, two of the donors behind establishing the scholarship. Mwizerwa was grateful for the opportunity to meet them in person. “My culture is to see them and thank them.”

John Berry Jr. was also glad to meet Mwizerwa, whose personality stood out. “Not only is he a smart guy, but he was very outgoing. Very affable, very engaging.”

Mwizerwa enjoyed meeting with the Berrys and hearing about their own time in college. He also was impressed and thankful that they started the Berry Family Scholarship to help students.

“It’s just such a great thing,” said Mwizerwa. “Their entire family cares about other people’s futures, and I would like them to know that this means the world to me.”

Committed to Catholic Education

Gordon and Joanne Fuchs were educators who believed in providing support where it was needed most. Avid sports fans, they loved UD basketball. But you would be more likely to find them at football, volleyball, or women’s soccer and basketball games because they wanted to make sure every UD student-athlete received the recognition and support they deserved.

If you would call sports their passion, then it is safe to say that Catholic education was their mission. Gordon was a professor in the Department of Teacher Education at UD for more than 30 years, and Joanne taught at St. Charles Borromeo School in the Dayton area. Together they sent all five of their boys (Paul ’95, Stephen ’96, Mark ’97, Phil ’01 and Anthony Fuchs ’02) to Catholic schools for their entire education despite the sacrifices they had to make to afford this.

“Even though we attended UD through tuition remission (as children of a UD professor), it was still a struggle for our parents,” said Stephen. “Especially for K-12. Sending five boys to Catholic elementary and high schools, plus the housing and food at UD … they made those sacrifices because they knew the value of Catholic education. They were committed to that for us.”

Stephen knows that they wanted to help others receive that education, too. As assistant principal at Chaminade Julienne Catholic High School in Dayton, he said his dad once walked in with a donation and announced to the office that he didn’t want any of that going to Stephen’s salary; it was to help a student.

The brothers laughed at the memory, but they also note that Gordon would say the same thing to UD because Mark is now a director of environmental health and safety for the University.

The brothers’ laughter spilled over into stories about Gordon taking each son to UD football games where they sat behind Brother Raymond Fitz, S.M. ’64, who was president of the University at the time. According to Phil and Paul, each of the Fuchs’ sons can attest that Fitz is a kind and patient man even after they put him to the test with their inadvertent bumps and kicks as they focused on the concessions and treats instead of the games they attended when they were 5 or 6 years old.

Whether at a football game, in the Chapel or attending Christmas on Campus, UD always remained a focal point for the family because, although the education was important, there was always so much more.

“They didn’t choose to support UD just because of the academic rigor, though that is definitely there,” said Stephen. “It’s the values. It’s the community. It’s the family spirit. That’s what they wanted us to experience.”

Gordon and Joanne wanted future students to experience the School of Education and Health Sciences, too. Before her death, Joanne let the boys know that she wanted $25,000 to go to UD to help a student in the School of Education and Health Sciences. In honor of their parents, the brothers each gave $5,000 to help education students who need the support. 

“Dayton was so special to both of my parents. They made their home there and totally immersed themselves in the UD community,” said Anthony.

“When they were making their final arrangements, they chose a plot at Calvary Cemetery in Dayton, high up on top of the hill that overlooks the UD campus. That is how special UD was to my mom and dad, and how special it is to all of us.”

More Than a Party

For University of Dayton graduates, Reunion Weekend is the preeminent alumni event of the year. From catching up with classmates to exploring parts of campus added or renovated since graduation, there is little doubt that Flyers enjoy a walk down memory lane. But before reminiscing can begin, there is an entire team — including alumni — that has to plan.

Like other Flyers, life pulled Brian Kearney ’95 away from Dayton, and it wasn’t until Reunion Weekend 2015 that he returned. Kearney found the 20-year absence caused his heart to grow fonder of his Flyer roots, so he joined the planning committee for what would have been the Class of 1995’s silver anniversary in 2020.

“It was nice to have the University ask our group what was good,” said Kearney. “They asked what we thought worked well and what didn’t. What did we want to see, and did we have examples from other events that could be incorporated?”

Ultimately, Reunion Weekend 2020 was canceled because of the pandemic, but Kearney says it would have been a nice mix of new-school technology and traditional events, a blend experienced by those who returned in 2022.

“UD is a physical place, but it extends beyond that,” said Kearney. “It’s a mix of the people and the employees and the feel on campus.”

It’s a sentiment that Ummiya Chaudhary ’20 shares even though her class hasn’t celebrated a reunion yet. However, because the pandemic canceled graduation in 2020, the class held a celebration two years later. The festivities were similar to Reunion Weekend, and Chaudhary was part of the planning committee.

“You spend four years getting to know your classmates and you develop a deep bond,” said Chaudhary. “And it wouldn’t have happened if we didn’t come to UD.”

That’s part of why alumni like Kearney and Chaudhary get involved. Reunion Weekend is more than just a party. It is a way to reconnect to the feelings, memories and friends you have from that time of your life.

“When I see alums come back for Reunion Weekend, there is this excitement, especially among the Golden Flyers,” said Chaudhary. “Life brings other priorities to the forefront, so when you have this thing down the road it has importance.”

“Helping Dayton doesn’t just mean writing a check,” said Kearney. “You can make Dayton a little better for the incoming students and fellow alumni by giving your time, too.”

Finding Home Through Service

When she was young, Nancy Riedl ’91 considered herself fearless. It was no surprise that, as a first-year communication student, she took a job calling the generous donors who fund University of Dayton programs and scholarships — people she didn’t know.

So, it caught her off guard when she was a little overwhelmed upon moving to New York after graduation.

“Moving somewhere as an adult was so different than going to UD where I didn’t know anyone,” said Riedl, who quickly found an answer — and a volunteer calling — by turning back to her alma mater. “To feel more connected I joined the New York Metro Alumni Community and my first event was Christmas off Campus.”

Riedl has gone on to serve in nearly every volunteer capacity the University offers, including as leader of the New York Metro Alumni Community and as a member of the University of Dayton Alumni Association Board. She also gives back as a Peer-to-Peer Ambassador.

Her career also evolved. That time she spent talking with UD donors inspired a career as a fundraiser for iconic, nonprofit institutions like the Bronx Zoo and The New York Botanical Garden. Eventually, she ended up in the “space where I belong” as the chief development officer for a New York-based organization called Neighborhood Coalition for Shelter.

She now spearheads a project looking for solutions to the nationwide issue of homelessness among college students. Once again Riedl found her UD experience nudging her toward service and, for the first time, began volunteering directly with current Flyers.

The University’s IACT program pairs UD mentors with current students. One of the overall goals is to help current Flyers develop the creative competencies that many jobs now require. In 2019, Riedl teamed up with IACT students, including mechanical engineering major Ethan Owens ’20, to find real ways to help college students experiencing homelessness in New York.

Owens says his time with IACT and Riedl did more than help him solve real problems with his degree — it helped him find the humanity in his chosen profession.

“Most of the time you’re learning something new on the job that you didn’t learn in school,” said Owens. “Connecting students and volunteers with that real-world experience early on is super helpful.”

And it’s not just helpful for the recent graduates.

“So much of the volunteering I do for UD feels like I get as much out of it as I’m putting into it,” said Riedl. She is still looking for solutions for college students experiencing homelessness but, even with that important mission, Riedl has no plans to slow down when it comes to volunteering at UD because she can set her own availability.

“What sets UD apart is creating citizens of the world and their communities. That fosters people who want to give back so it would be hard to imagine a world without UD volunteers,” said Riedl.

Success Through Sustainable Support

In a year when markets are down, the University of Dayton endowment provides consistent, reliable support to our programs, professors and students thanks to exceptional returns from previous years and the forethought and generosity of donors from generations past. This is exactly what an endowment is designed to do.

The endowment is an intergenerational pact — a contract between the past, present and future of the University. Our community is thriving thanks to alumni, donors and University leaders committed to the long-term success of our Catholic, Marianist mission.

The current value of the endowment, made up of both donor- and board-restricted funds, is $770 million. While this is lower than the $809 million reported last year, the University’s asset allocation plan and investment management performance mitigated the challenges experienced in traditional financial markets. As a result, our long-term investment pool remained stable at $1.06 billion as of June 30, 2022.

“We talk about the endowment as a single number, but it’s made up of hundreds of funds — most of which are restricted to very specific uses, such as funding a particular scholarship or professorship. We report on them together because these funds create a very real base of support — a foundation that the University of Dayton builds on every year,” said Chris Morrison, vice president of University Advancement. “It ensures that we will have consistent and growing support for our most important programs and people despite yearly fluctuations in value because our endowment is focused on creating equity across generations of Flyer students.”

The campus and community are receiving support from the endowment right now — $24.9 million this year — and the goal is to maintain and grow the endowment so that future generations receive the same UD educational value and benefits or better. Unlike an individual investor whose goal might be to maximize profit in 10 or 20 years, Morrison points out that “the endowment is a pool of funds managed for our success during the next 200 years.”

Even in a down market the endowment provides consistent resources. The board of trustees typically approves 3.5% to 5.5% of endowed funds for current use. This balances the need for preserving and growing the endowment while providing consistent funds that can budgeted for current use for our mission-driven initiatives.

In addition to this careful distribution, the board and many donors place specific restrictions on the funds and their gifts. This ensures that the funds will always be used for their intended purposes and are not legally permitted to be depleted by pressures to use the money as a “rainy-day fund.”

Think of it like sustainably harvesting from a forest or preserving groundwater in our aquifers. Cutting too many trees or pumping out too much water may have a greater financial impact upfront, but the long-term effects of overuse result in diminished returns overall.

“It was exciting to announce last year that our long-term investment pool and endowment passed the billion-dollar mark last year,” said Morrison. “That’s a significant achievement that places UD among the elite institutions in the U.S.”

And while annual tuition revenue and donor support fluctuate, which is simply the reality for all of higher education, UD’s endowment provides stable and long-lasting financial support for our students and our mission.

“Those who came before us have ensured our success today because they made gifts to the endowment. We’re benefiting from their generosity and foresight right now,” said Morrison. “It is our responsibility to preserve and grow that support for our future.”

Building a Foundation and Creating New Ones

For Michael DiFlora, the wheels of success started turning early in his career, and while he never attended the University of Dayton, the University was the grease that helped those wheels get going.

When DiFlora graduated from college in 1972 there were more engineers than positions available. The space race had recently ended and NASA, the government agency that had inspired so many for so long, had downsized. Despite that, DiFlora had multiple job offers, but one intrigued him more than the others. True, it paid the least, but it offered DiFlora the chance to do research, something that fascinated him.

“I never took a job for money,” said DiFlora. “I always took it for the challenge of the job.”

Saying yes to the job meant DiFlora began working for James Hoeffel ’59. Under Hoeffel’s patience and mentorship, DiFlora began to build the foundation for the rest of his career. He worked hard, made mistakes, found solutions and learned how to keep meticulous records of all of it.

“When you’re researching you have to keep notes. I didn’t know what a patent log was before that job,” said DiFlora. “I got that experience working for Jim.”

Those patent logs helped DiFlora secure more than 20 patents of his own over the course of his 40-year career. Now technically retired and reflecting on those who contributed to his success, DiFlora thought of Hoeffel and how his guidance helped set so many things in motion for him. 

DiFlora and his wife, Holly DiFlora ’83, decided to fund the James D. Hoeffel Scholarship at UD — Hoeffel’s alma mater and the place where he also taught night classes — to pay it forward.

The DiFlora’s met with Hoeffel’s son and daughter-in-law, Jeffrey and Amy Hoeffel, to talk about the impact they hope this scholarship will make.

“It was very cool to hear about the scholarship,” said Jeffrey, who followed his father into the world of technology and now works for the University of Dayton Research Institute. “He was always engaged in his classes and was not afraid to learn anything. He’s a cool cat.”

But for DiFlora, the goal of this scholarship is to do more than just pay tribute to someone who made a big impact on the trajectory of his career.

“This was a thank you for somebody who was a mentor,” said DiFlora. “Hopefully, someone else says ‘this is a good idea’ and is inspired to establish a scholarship for their mentor.”

A Winding and Unexpected Road

For Erica Reist Bass ’15, the road to her first Emmy is similar to the patient stories she tells — winding and totally unexpected.

During her four years at the University of Dayton, and for a few years after graduation, Bass thought her calling lay in a different profession than video production, even though it had long been something she enjoyed.

“I was worried that if I made my hobby into a profession, I wouldn’t love it the same way,” said Bass. “Would that change everything for me?”

By the time the pandemic was underway in 2020, Bass was facing a fork in the road. Encouragement from family and friends had her thinking that maybe video production could be her full-time career. She had been picking up freelance video work for two years but choosing a new path would mean moving on from the career she’d prepared for at UD.

“I was feeling the pressure that, because I had a degree in something, I thought I needed to do that,” said Bass.

But when the door opened for change, Bass was ready. Those freelance jobs helped her build a portfolio of work that earned her a job at Michigan Medicine as a video producer. Bass works with a small team of video producers and takes the lead on creating videos about cancer patients and the journeys they face. Before every story, Bass gets to know the patient to put together a list of questions for them to answer on camera. She takes those answers to shape and edit the story that’s shared with the public.

“Everything is done with the patient and their story in mind,” said Bass. “I transform their spoken narrative into video format, keeping it true to them and their health journey.”

The first patient story she told was Michael’s. Just days before competing in a triathlon, he learned he had colon cancer.

“He had this moment during the race when things stood still, and he actually processed that he had cancer,” said Bass. “He crossed the finish line, then started fighting his cancer with the same determination. He’s now cancer free.”

A few months later, her co-workers submitted the video she created with Michael for a regional Emmy Award. And, perhaps only to her own surprise, she received a nomination.

Then, she won.

“I’m so thankful for those who never batted an eye and said I could do this. I had the best support in the world,” said Bass.

Even with her first Emmy win, and a few more stories under her belt, Bass isn’t afraid to admit that she’s still learning. She’s excited to keep telling patient stories and hopes that other Flyers learn from her own story.

“It’s OK not to have everything planned out,” said Bass. “It’s OK to change your mind. Be gentle with yourself and know that it’s OK to try something. If it doesn’t work out, it doesn’t work out.”

And even though she’s now in a very different place than she expected as a student, Bass says what she learned at UD is still at the heart of what she’s doing.

“UD is a home for storytelling. We celebrated stories already written, and it’s where we shaped our stories without even realizing it.”

Donors Help Level an Uphill Challenge

“At 18, I watched my friends prepare for college as I prepared to give birth to my daughter,” said UD student Corey Deel ’23.

As a young, single parent, Deel tabled aspirations for higher education while she focused on her daughter, Zoe. “I thought I would never be able to [attend college], logistically and financially. Zoe was my first priority, so I couldn’t spend a lot of time and money elsewhere — she needed that,” she said.

As Zoe got older, Deel’s mindset changed, and she explored furthering her education — and started by taking a few classes at Sinclair Community College. “Zoe and I actually started school on the same day; the day she went to kindergarten was my first day at Sinclair. We both had our little backpacks on,” she said.

Her career focus narrowed quickly at Sinclair. “I decided very early that my field of interest was neuropsychology, which will require a Ph.D.,” she said. The anticipated expense seemed insurmountable to Deel, but an academic adviser at Sinclair assured her a career as a neuropsychologist was accessible — and that she could begin by completing her bachelor’s at UD, thanks to donor-supported initiatives.

“I saw all of the scholarship support I would receive and realized it was possible,” she said. Deel enrolled in the UD Sinclair Academy, a partnership between UD and Sinclair that provides a pathway for a growing number of Sinclair students to seamlessly transfer to UD. In addition, she received an Osher Reentry Scholarship, designated for students with at least a five-year educational gap after high school.

The Osher scholarship and UD Sinclair Academy have received considerable donor support, including significant recent gifts: UD Sinclair Academy received $1.25 million from an anonymous Dayton-area couple and $1 million for a UDSA Kessler Scholars Program — a project supported by the Kessler Scholars Collaborative and the American Talent Initiative with funding from the Judy and Fred Wilpon Family Foundation and Bloomberg Philanthropies. The Osher Reentry Scholarship is now endowed at UD thanks to a $1 million gift from the Bernard Osher Foundation.

Vice President for Strategic Enrollment Management Jason Reinoehl emphasizes the impact of this support on reentry students — and other students: “Our UD Sinclair Academy and the Osher Reentry Scholarship help make it possible for talented students like Deel to attend UD.

Reentry students have talents, diverse experiences and perspectives that enrich the educational experience for all, both in and out of the classroom.”

The Osher Reentry Scholarship program has been in place at UD since fall 2020 and has had incredible success, with 100% retention and graduation rates, and an average cumulative GPA of 3.42. Deel certainly boosts that average, boasting a 3.96 cumulative GPA, while juggling

an average 14 credits and a part-time job — and, most importantly, her parental responsibilities. She is purpose-driven, thriving and setting an impeccable example for her daughter. She’s also grateful for everything donors have provided.

“Without donors, this opportunity wouldn’t be possible for me,” she said. “I have worked hard to get here and feel confident in my ability to create the life I’ve dreamt of, but I couldn’t do it alone.”

Turning Potential Into Action

Growing up on Dayton’s west side in the shadow of the University of Dayton, Daisha Williams lived with her single mother and younger sister. Nobody in her family had earned a college degree before, and she attended an inner-city high school. But she earned good grades, and her hard work paid off. She now plans to graduate from UD in the spring of 2023 with a degree in education.

But being a Flyer wasn’t always a sure thing for Williams.

In her senior year of high school, Williams began visiting colleges she thought she could afford. UD wasn’t on that original list, but something told her not to give up on the idea she could be a Flyer.

She began looking through financial aid options available for students and considered the UD Sinclair Academy — which allows students to begin their studies at Sinclair College and graduate from UD with a bachelor’s degree. She also considered living at home, but neither option was her first choice.

Then, it happened.

Williams learned that she had been selected to join the third cohort of the Flyer Promise Scholars program.

“When I received that Flyer Promise letter in the mail, that was it,” said Williams. “I was ready to pack my stuff up.”

Thanks to donors who give to scholarships like Flyer Promise, Williams stopped worrying about how she was going to pay for college and began turning her potential into action. During her past three years at UD, Williams has served as president of Women of Remarkable Distinction, became community service chair for Black Action Through Unity and secretary for the House of UD and is a student assistant in the teacher education department.

And with graduation within reach, Williams is soaking in everything she can from University faculty, staff and programs. She recently completed micro-credentialing in collaboration, critical thinking, resilience, initiative and empathy from the Institute of Applied Creativity for Transformation.

“IACT is special because you can come from anywhere, and you will walk out of there changed for the better. They have enlightened me beyond my years,” said Williams.

During her summer breaks, she’s learning everything she can through internships. This past summer, she worked with Children's Defense Fund Ohio as part of UD’s Statehouse Civic Scholars program, authoring a piece about the positive impact that diverse teachers have on Ohio students.

It all factors into Williams’ overall goal of someday making a difference in our schools, even if she needs to shake some things up for the sake of the greater good.

“Being a Black woman, from a single-parent home, I know the problems people among these groups face because I was that person,” said Williams. “Going into the education field where decisions are being made by people who haven’t been there, I want to be at the table — at the head of the table — and bring my experiences to the discussion.”

Donor Investments Paying Off

When Bill ’81 and Becky ’81 Hilbert established their scholarship in 2006, they wanted to open UD’s doors to promising students from communities near and dear to the couple, like Bill’s hometown and their current residence: Erie, Pennsylvania. 

Kendal Schaetzle ’17 was one of these students, receiving the William M. Hilbert, Jr. and Rebecca Meek Hilbert Scholarship all four years at UD. Five years since her graduation and one thing is for sure: The Hilberts’ investment in her paid off.

Early Adversity
Schaetzle grew up in Erie and attended Mercyhurst Preparatory School before going to UD — and met a string of adversaries while at Mercyhurst. A thyroid cancer diagnosis and a torn ACL resulted in three surgeries within 10 months, and Schaetzle’s hopes of a college soccer career, and corresponding athletic scholarships, were dashed. But instead of wallowing in self-pity, Schaetzle took these challenges head-on — and found her calling. 

“I did a lot of self-reflection and decided that I wanted to go into medicine to help others, like doctors had helped me,” she said. More than a decade has passed since her health scare, and she is thankfully cancer free — and on course, entering her last year of medical school at Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.  

A Service Mentality
Schaetzle’s path since Mercyhurst is a perfect reflection of UD’s Catholic, Marianist mission, every step embracing servant leadership and community impact — and the William M. Hilbert, Jr. and Rebecca Meek Hilbert Scholarship helped make her trek possible. 

She credits her time at UD with fostering that mindset and path. “UD definitely helped prepare me to get into medical school with the courses — and also with the service activities,” she said. While earning her biology degree at UD, she volunteered with Reach Out, a Dayton-area clinic for the underserved; served as a River Steward at UD’s Rivers Institute; and participated in Global Brigades, an international nonprofit that teams with colleges to send undergrads with health care aspirations to developing nations — she served in Nicaragua twice through the program. 

After graduating, Schaetzle served in AmeriCorps, working at Church Health, a medical nonprofit that provides medical and dental care to those in need, among other services — and then went on to medical school. She is also a member of MGY, a global health organization through which she recently traveled to the Peruvian Amazon to help train over 30 community health care workers.

Passing Along the UD Experience
Schaetzle’s story is just one of many success stories tied to the Hilberts’ scholarship, which helps the couple pay forward their own UD experience — while marrying their love for UD with their care for the Erie community. The Hilberts own Reddog Industries, a longtime Erie manufacturing business, while serving on several local boards and providing financial support to local organizations. They are stewards of the Erie community and, much like Schaetzle, they credit UD with helping them develop the mindset to be in that position. 

“The University of Dayton changed our lives, made us better people,” Bill said. “It is a place that transforms people — helps them become true servants to the community and to those they love and care for.”

Schaetzle certainly confirms the Hilberts’ view of UD — and the positive impact of their decision to establish their scholarship years ago — with her plans to bring health care to the underserved. “So many people in our states, country and world don’t have access to adequate health care,” she said. “I want to help improve that.”

UD Community — How Sweet It Is

Jeffrey Neace ’88, identifies as a serial entrepreneur — ideas are his stock-in-trade, and he is always ready to develop the next one. 

In the spring of 2020, Neace, who earned his business degree in management and has taught business at UD as an adjunct instructor, was riding the wave of a successful sale of Paragon Infusion Therapy’s pharmacy business. It was a lucrative deal, and he was ready for the next big idea when the pandemic slowed everything down. Yet, that turned out to be a bright spot, too. 

“Because everything was shut down, I decided to do some plantings and was headed to Grandma’s Garden’s (a local nursery and garden center),” said Neace. “I ended up driving past where I used to get frozen custard and remembered how much I loved that place. People would congregate there, and I really missed that.” 

That was the moment he began his next venture — building community through frozen custard just eight miles away from the UD campus that showed him the value of community years ago.

“It all comes back to community,” said Neace as he talked about how his love for UD basketball as a kid developed into an appreciation for what he saw around campus. “Just the whole sense of community … hanging out on the porches of all those houses and that sense of gathering and connectivity and belonging. It affected me so much that I’ve kind of brainwashed my kids into loving UD, too,” he laughed. 

His oldest, Emma, is currently a sophomore at UD, and it was her idea to make sure the dining room had a big, cool booth for groups to gather and hang out in the space. And that’s exactly what Neace wanted. 

“We’re not just selling custard, we’re creating memories. We’re creating those moments that you remember with your grandparents … with your children,” said Neace as he swept his arm back toward the booth and the photos surrounding it. “That’s all my life. Those are all family photos. That’s my aunt on the top right. And the big one is my father.”

Family. Friends. Gathering together to eat. It all certainly has a Marianist ring to it. And Neace is amped up for everything that comes next, even if it comes with a little risk. 

“I’m just really excited for the fall and football games and all the kids showing up to, you know, wreck the place," he said with a laugh. For Neace, it’s all about creating traditions and, hopefully, a new Dayton institution. So far so good — his primary concern right now is keeping up with demand. And, to Neace, the success is no surprise. 

“When you can marry a good business idea with developing community, you’re really onto something."

Forever Marianist

It’s one thing to say the University of Dayton is a Catholic, Marianist university, but how does the University continue to weave those values into the fabric of everyday campus life as the number of vowed religious continues to decrease?

In the past 50 years, the number of Marianist brothers and priests in the U.S. has fallen from close to 1,400 to fewer than 350. The Forever Marianist Initiative ensures that the Marianist values central to UD’s mission and identity will always live on as part of the UD experience for future Flyers.

The initiative will help students, faculty and staff create and support opportunities to learn, lead and serve in the Marianist spirit. The three primary areas the initiative bolsters include the Office for Mission and Rector, the Marianist centers in the College of Arts and Sciences, and the Center for Catholic Education in the School of Education and Health Sciences.

Learn — Faith Formation

The Forever Marianist Initiative supports several components of faith formation. Students learn about the Marianist charism through Campus Ministry experiences, the Callings program and opportunities for leadership in faith. From spiritual retreats and academic classes that explore different religious traditions, to Marianist student communities and social justice initiatives in which faith translates to action, there is abundant opportunity for students to learn and live in faith.

“The opportunity to attend Callings was one like no other! I was able to grow my knowledge of the UD community and the Marianist heritage and their inspiring values, and reflect upon my own vocation and where it may lead me,” said Kathleen Crump ’25.

Lead — Marianist Forever

True to one of the hallmarks of a Marianist education — to read the signs of the times and adapt accordingly — UD is growing the number of committed Marianist lay educators. Through mission-based staff retreats and a Marianist Educational Associates lay ministry program, UD faculty and staff participate in faith formation and make a commitment to sustain and enrich the Marianist tradition at UD. Ten years ago, UD was home to about 30 MEA members. Since then, nearly 100 more have completed the program.

“The Marianist charism pillars of faith, mission, community, inclusivity and Mary became real at the MEA retreat as we learned the history of the Marianists and focused on living Marianist principals in practical ways at work,” said Erla Burnside, a newly certified MEA and executive assistant in University Advancement.

Serve — Faith in Action

Linking scholarship and learning with leadership and service is another distinctive Marianist tradition at UD. Through the Center for the Integration of Faith and Work, the Center for Social Concern and the Fitz Center for Leadership in Community, students learn how to be ethical leaders in their chosen fields. In addition, experiential learning opportunities like immersions through the Ethos Center allow students to use their knowledge to make a positive impact on the world through service.

Kelly Bohrer, executive director of the Ethos Center, notes that these experiences reflect the work of UD’s Marianist founders. “The immersion program is grounded in our Catholic and Marianist identity to educate for service and justice. Much like Father Chaminade, Adèle and Marie did in France after the French Revolution, our students build meaningful relationships with diverse others to address injustices and creatively meet the needs of the world.”

At UD, Marianist values aren’t just given lip service. They are actions, intentionally woven throughout the UD campus, culture and curriculum to ensure the Marianist tradition lives on for generations to come.

Success Through Sustainable Support

In a year when markets are down, the University of Dayton endowment provides consistent, reliable support to our programs, professors and students thanks to exceptional returns from previous years and the forethought and generosity of donors from generations past. This is exactly what an endowment is designed to do.

The endowment is an intergenerational pact — a contract between the past, present and future of the University. Our community is thriving thanks to alumni, donors and University leaders committed to the long-term success of our Catholic, Marianist mission.

The current value of the endowment, made up of both donor- and board-restricted funds, is $770 million. While this is lower than the $809 million reported last year, the University’s asset allocation plan and investment management performance mitigated the challenges experienced in traditional financial markets. As a result, our long-term investment pool remained stable at $1.06 billion as of June 30, 2022.

“We talk about the endowment as a single number, but it’s made up of hundreds of funds — most of which are restricted to very specific uses, such as funding a particular scholarship or professorship. We report on them together because these funds create a very real base of support — a foundation that the University of Dayton builds on every year,” said Chris Morrison, vice president of University Advancement. “It ensures that we will have consistent and growing support for our most important programs and people despite yearly fluctuations in value because our endowment is focused on creating equity across generations of Flyer students.”

The campus and community are receiving support from the endowment right now — $24.9 million this year — and the goal is to maintain and grow the endowment so that future generations receive the same UD educational value and benefits or better. Unlike an individual investor whose goal might be to maximize profit in 10 or 20 years, Morrison points out that “the endowment is a pool of funds managed for our success during the next 200 years.”

Even in a down market the endowment provides consistent resources. The board of trustees typically approves 3.5% to 5.5% of endowed funds for current use. This balances the need for preserving and growing the endowment while providing consistent funds that can budgeted for current use for our mission-driven initiatives.

In addition to this careful distribution, the board and many donors place specific restrictions on the funds and their gifts. This ensures that the funds will always be used for their intended purposes and are not legally permitted to be depleted by pressures to use the money as a “rainy-day fund.”

Think of it like sustainably harvesting from a forest or preserving groundwater in our aquifers. Cutting too many trees or pumping out too much water may have a greater financial impact upfront, but the long-term effects of overuse result in diminished returns overall.

“It was exciting to announce last year that our long-term investment pool and endowment passed the billion-dollar mark last year,” said Morrison. “That’s a significant achievement that places UD among the elite institutions in the U.S.”

And while annual tuition revenue and donor support fluctuate, which is simply the reality for all of higher education, UD’s endowment provides stable and long-lasting financial support for our students and our mission.

“Those who came before us have ensured our success today because they made gifts to the endowment. We’re benefiting from their generosity and foresight right now,” said Morrison. “It is our responsibility to preserve and grow that support for our future.”

Callings

When you were in college, what would you have said if someone asked, “What is your vocation?” Would you have named your future career? Perhaps your plans for single, married or religious life? The Callings program at the University of Dayton gives students a different perspective — focusing their attention on arguably the most important time of life: right now.

“People think of vocation and think too far ahead,” said John-Paul Bugada, a junior chemical engineering student and one of two student directors for the 2022 summer Callings program. “But right now, we’re called to be students and to fully engage in that. Part of that is preparing for the future, but it’s also about making the most of your time here and now.”

Bugada is joined by Anna Kopsick, a junior psychology major from Hollywood, Florida. As student directors they joined Callings as participants their first year, then as leaders the summer before their sophomore year. They spoke about the impact of Callings while performing service work at the Mission of Mary Cooperative, a Dayton-based urban farming nonprofit that transforms vacant land plots into vegetable gardens with neighborhood partners to sustainably develop the community. Seeing Bugada and Kopsick work and interact with participants, it was clear they were inspired to be a part of the program.

“The Callings program is about allowing students to see where God is calling them in this chapter of their life,” said Elizabeth Montgomery, director of the Callings program and campus minister for Christian leadership and vocation. “Callings provides incoming students a rich way to learn about the heart and soul of the University of Dayton and orient themselves to, not only the Marianist charism of the University, but ways they could learn, lead, serve and pray while they are here.”

During their day of service this year, Kopsick explained that one of the student leaders gave a talk earlier in the morning telling participants how the simplicity of service can reveal beauty in life without having to be a huge, dramatic project. Small projects of service can be life-changing when performed purely. Bugada agreed and described service as an active prayer.

Together they are serving as directors for the week, focusing on logistics as well as inspiring a small group of student leaders and about 80 incoming first-year students who are the participants this July. The timing of Callings provides another great benefit.

“Introduction to campus life is an attractive feature of Callings, becoming familiar with campus, eating in the dining halls and getting to know some of your classmates even before orientation,” said Kopsick, who came to UD knowing no one. “For me, it was really important to be able to start establishing a community on campus.” 

Both directors were more than happy to serve in the program that has given them so much while helping them understand and adapt to their own callings during their time at UD. For Kopsick, it helped her when she decided to change majors.

“I’m kind of a person who thought, ‘Change? Something bad must be happening.’ So being in Callings and embracing the intentionality of living in the moment of this four-year student experience helped me embrace what I want to learn about, and what I really want to do,” she said.

And Bugada has seen his own growth throughout Callings. “Experiencing the different roles — from participant to leader to director — has helped with my path through college. It changes and it evolves,” he said.

“You might be needed in different roles and support different people. But you can grow and change while keeping your core values,” said Bugada. “The faith aspect of Callings helped me explore that element of personal growth and understand its importance to me.”