Leader, brother, giver

Where can you adopt a highway with your fraternity, use groundbreaking technology during a growing digital age, and play watermelon shot put? For Brian Witchger ’94, the University of Dayton was the site for all of these accomplishments, inspiring him to give back to future generations of students during UD’s We Soar campaign.

In 2021, Witchger and his wife, Tara, attended a meeting where President Eric F. Spina spoke about the Flyer Promise Scholars program and how it can provide high-quality education for students who may have previously thought UD degrees were out of reach.  The couple recognized Flyer Promise aligned with their values and decided to make a notable gift to the program that funds educational and leadership opportunities for a new cohort of selected students each year.

“We see education as core to the ability to lift people from poverty for generations.”

“We see education as core to the ability to lift people from poverty for generations,” Witchger said. “[Flyer Promise] encompasses so much and embodies everything we believe in from a holistic approach.”

The Witchgers’ gift is devoted to a current-use fund and an endowed scholarship. This gives the program immediate support to fund opportunities such as study abroad while also fueling its long-term impact by providing students with a mission-driven education.

Witchger himself received a comprehensive education from UD that he said prepared him for a successful future and taught him valuable life lessons. Earning a management information systems degree in the School of Business Administration allowed him to work with cutting-edge multimedia software during the Internet’s early days and create a virtual tour of campus. Such opportunities inspired him to work at technology startups after graduation.

His business education and experiences holding multiple leadership positions in the Sigma Chi fraternity taught him about levels of leadership and how to work with others. He is currently the vice president of sales and marketing at Marian, a custom manufacturing company, a position that was influenced by his time at UD.

Being a brother of Sigma Chi granted Witchger some of his fondest memories. With reverence, he recalls living in the Sigma Chi house, meeting with other Greek life leaders, adopting and cleaning a highway with his brothers, participating in Greek life’s Watermelon Bust, and running a game for kids during Christmas on Campus.

“Christmas on Campus was such a good thing. I remember taking the time to enjoy community,” he said, especially when seeing moments of real joy in the faces of the children. 

Witchger believes that UD’s commitment to community makes the University a proper home for so many students, and that various groups and experiences interconnected to support him during his time.

“The education was hard but the support that got me through was the key,” he said. “Having a community inside of a community is important.”

Witchger said his family supports UD’s campaign because they see how the University uses donations to improve students’ lives and the campus environment to make it a better place to learn and thrive. Their gift to Flyer Promise will nurture students into well-rounded individuals who will go on to positively impact the University, their personal communities and the world.

“My hope is that the students of Flyer Promise teach others more than they learn, about overcoming adversity, driving to goals and living a life filled with service for others.”

“My hope is that the students of Flyer Promise teach others more than they learn, about overcoming adversity, driving to goals and living a life filled with service for others,” he said.

Photos courtesy Brian Witchger