AVILA HERITAGE SOCIETY

Paying it Forward Laurie Peckham ’85 on Making a Difference in the Lives of Future Avila Eagles

As a first-generation college student and the only member of her immediate family to graduate college, Avila Heritage Society member Laurie Peckham ’85 deeply appreciates the impact student scholarships at Avila played in her life.

“Having a college degree made a huge difference in my confidence facing issues that I might encounter in the world,” Peckham said. “Because of the benevolence of someone that I don’t even know, I was able to earn my degree. Now I’m able to do the same thing and if I can make that kind of difference in someone else’s life, then I think I’ve fulfilled what Avila put me on the path to fulfill.”

A Kansas City, Missouri native, Peckham originally attended Central Missouri State University but realized she wanted a smaller school environment pretty quickly. She began researching Avila on the advice of her best friend from high school and found what she was looking for.

“The key thing for Avila and why I was able to be successful there was due to the class size and the professor knowledge pool,” she said. “For instance, I knew that when I got to higher-level accounting classes, there might be six people in my class. When you’re dealing with those sorts of in-depth concepts in a large class format, it’s easy to get behind if a professor has to deal with many questions. At Avila, the professors could better ensure the success of every student—that was a huge difference for me.”

That difference paid off. Peckham has provided financial administration and oversight for many companies—from Fortune 500 firms to small companies— in her three-decade career. She now consults on financial reporting for telecommunication firms in Indiana, where she has lived with her husband, Greg, since 2003. She also co-owns a boring company which provides drilling services throughout the state.

Named a member of the Heritage Society in 2017 for a life insurance bequest to the University, Peckham said she was struck at the simplicity of the institutional bequest process.

“The whole process was not difficult at all,” she said. “I was able to go online and update my designated beneficiary within my estate plan on their website, which is the case with most estate plans. I learned that if you name a beneficiary on your insurance policy, that beneficiary—with a few exceptions—will be the recipient of those funds from your insurance policy regardless of what you say about it in an estate plan.”

While she no longer lives in Kansas City, she returns to the area frequently and makes a point to return to campus as frequently as possible.

“The last time I visited Avila during the summer, I had a great experience during my tour even though classes weren’t in session,” she said. “When I was in school, I had friends in productions at the Goppert Theatre and attended many shows there, so I hope to see a show at the new performing arts center. But even with the changes, it’s wonderful to see that in many ways, it hasn’t changed and is still the same campus I love.”

We invite you to join the hundreds of alumni and friends, like Laurie, who have already planned their legacy at Avila. Making a planned gift to Avila can be done in several simple and savvy ways without reducing your income or diminishing your savings. Call us today to learn more and to make a lasting impact. Contact Maggie Mohrfeld, interim vice president of advancement, at 816.501.2430 or Maggie.Mohrfeld@avila.edu.

11901 Wornall Road Kansas City, MO 64145 816.501.3602 • Avila.edu

As Avila alumni, you’re now eligible for a tuition discount for any of our graduate programs. MBA. Psychology. Kinesiology. Management. Counseling Psychology. Organizational Development. Education. Includes graduate certificate programs. For info, visit: Avila.edu/GraduateStudies