A commitment to Catholic education — that’s what the Oravitz family held onto as their family navigated each phase of schooling. So when it came time for Jeff and Cindy Oravitz’s children to make their college decisions, it was no surprise that two of the three ended up at the University of Dayton.
Their eldest daughter graduated in the Class of 2014 and inspired her sister to follow. The Oravitz family’s journey continues today with their youngest daughter, Allyson, who is a current senior, and with their support of signature UD programs by donating to the We Soar campaign.
The initial appeal to Jeff and Cindy was the visibility of faith on campus. Having no prior connection to the University, they said they were pleasantly surprised with how active the Marianist brothers are in the campus community, and they praised the weekly spaghetti dinners the brothers host for students.
“We see the University of Dayton as a beacon where the light of Christ and Catholicity shine through and provide a tremendous opportunity to, as the University says, educate the whole person,” Jeff said.
“We see the University of Dayton as a beacon where the light of Christ and Catholicity shine through.”
Wanting to further enrich their involvement with their children’s school, Jeff and Cindy became volunteer members of the Parent Leadership Council, a group that facilitates parent engagement and philanthropy. Through their membership, they have become more aware of the programs they could give to.
“This University is a place that deserves special recognition and attention as a tremendous place to help develop the next generations of leaders,” Jeff said. “And to do that, we’ve got to continue to invest in the University’s assets and infrastructure to allow that to take place.”
These assets include programs like Flyer Promise and Forever Marianist, areas in which the Oravitz family has been involved. Forever Marianist focuses on supporting programs that will ensure the education of future generations in the Marianist tradition and advance Marianist values. Flyer Promise is important to the Oravitzes because they want to help give qualified students who may not otherwise have access to a UD education the opportunity to attend the school the family has come to love.
“At the end of the day, to me, it’s about what you leave behind,” said Jeff. “What we’ll leave behind is an investment in students to help them develop as people through the special place that is the University of Dayton.”
Their efforts have even inspired their youngest daughter to start giving back early on. Allyson recently received her Front Porch Society membership, a recognition given to those who have made gifts of any amount to the University for three or more consecutive years.
Allyson belongs to Epsilon Nu Tau, an entrepreneurship fraternity, and through her membership has expanded her philanthropic interests on campus. Participating in fundraising events for charities like Brigid’s Path and For Love of Children has fostered her interest in uplifting common good and proved to her that she’s capable of creating change.
“UD has impacted my passion for philanthropy.”
“UD has impacted my passion for philanthropy. It has shown me how important it is to give back to your community and to build upon its growth,” Allyson said. “Without the University of Dayton’s commitment to community and philanthropy, our students would not be connected to our local community as much as we currently are.”
The Oravitzes hope to inspire other families to get involved and look into programs that need support. They place importance on the University, explaining that it’s a model for how to develop students academically, spiritually and socially in a way that is distinctively UD.
Their family continues to look toward the future, thinking about how their investments now will impact students for years to come, strengthening the foundation where students can continue to learn and grow through their family’s commitment to Catholic education.