What Is Your Passion?

What would you like to accomplish with your money that is meaningful to you?

Pretty simple question–straight forward, honest, succinct. The answer, however, is often not as easy.

I suspect we have all imagined what we would do if we won the lottery, or inherited a large sum of money from a previously unknown relative, or even that we were as rich as Bill Gates or Oprah. All the good we could do for the less fortunate, the benefit we could bestow on mankind. But, truly, what is the mark you would like to leave on this world? How would you like to make a difference?

We posed this question to a number of Cleveland State alumni, faculty and donors and their answers were surprising different, and surprisingly the same.

Dr. Bette R. Bonder is the Associate Dean and Professor of Health Science and Psychology in the College of Science at Cleveland State University. She and her husband, Dr. Patrick R. Bray, recently named the University as the beneficiary of their Charitable Remainder Trust, with the anticipated gift to be well into six figures. An occupational therapist and psychologist, Dr. Bonder has extensive experience working with individuals from diverse backgrounds in mental health and. She is co-author of the textbook Culture in Clinical Care, which takes the perspective that culture is emergent in individuals as they interact with the physical and social environment.

Bette and her husband, Pat, are creating their endowment fund to help ensure that future generations of deserving students can attend a college that provides the high quality of education that is offered through CSU. As a university professor, Bette is keenly aware of the value of a college education, but sees that programs are often subject to the vagaries of State funding. This gift will help to ensure that students will be able to receive the highest quality of education programs when the attend Cleveland State.

Mary Lou Nemeth, received degrees from both the Fenn College of Engineering and the College of Business. She recently established the Mary Louise Nemeth Endowment Fund, with the income to be used to provide scholarships for students in both the Fenn College of Engineering and the Nance College of Business.

Mary Lou first attended Fenn College of Engineering in the 1950's, pursuing a degree in electrical engineering. After being told that no one would hire a woman as an engineer, she then went back to school to earn a degree in business. Following graduation, Mary Lou worked in several corporate positions before embarking on a 42-year publishing career that included 32 years with Huebner Publications, publishers of Tooling and Production, Metalfax and Designfax. Among her many accolades, Mary Lou was the first woman inducted in the business and industry category of the Ohio Women's Hall of Fame. In 2005, she was awarded the G. D. Crain, Jr. award at the annual meeting of the Business Marketing Association.

Mary Lou set up her endowment fund so that she could help needy students receive an education. She received a scholarship and now she wants to ensure that future generations of students, who may not have the financial means to attend college, will have the opportunity. This is Mary Lou's way to give back.

Dave Balint, received a BBA in Business Administration in 1969. Dave has created the David L. Balint Endowment Fund, and pledged to donate $100,000 to such fund. The income from the Balint Fund will be used to provide scholarships to students pursing a degree in business. Following graduation from CSU, Dave received a master's degree from Temple University and is a 1982 graduate of the Naval War College. Dave currently works for The Boeing Company and has responsibilities for coordinating trade compliance activity internally. Prior to joining Boeing, Dave worked for Teledyne Brown Engineering, and before that, was an officer in the US Navy. Dave was elected to membership in Beta Gamma Sigma, national business and administration honorary; and received alumni honoree recognition from CSU's chapter of Beta Gamma Sigma in 2004.

Bruce Altman received a BBA in Business Administration in 1939 and has named Cleveland State University a beneficiary of his Last Will and Testament. Bruce thoroughly enjoyed his days at Fenn College, had very fond memories of Dean Paul Anders, was a member of BBA fraternity and served as the Editor of Fenn Fanfare (ask him how he convinced the administration to cover the cost of publication during those lean times). After college, he left Cleveland and moved to California, where he was in Account Management for several national advertising agencies. One of Bruce's career highlights was being in charge of the Max Factor account!

He too wants to create a scholarship fund for students pursing a degree in marketing. Bruce still appreciates the fact that his scholarship to Fenn gave him the opportunity to go to college and so he wants to give that something back to someone perhaps in like circumstances. His hope is that a student who receives this scholarship will better appreciate what has been done for them and that they, too, will eventually create their own named endowment fund.

The ultimate desire to help a young person obtain a college education is paramount for so many donors. However, this desire has a varied origins - it may be a desire to "give back" or a desire to help encourage students to, they themselves, become donors, or even a simple wish to help people help themselves. Regardless the underlying motivation, these generous, thoughtful, compassionate and intelligent supporters of Cleveland State University will all achieve one goal–they will help to improve another person's life.