In the giving business

Ron (Class of 1973) and Sharon (Class of 1974) Cooper never hesitate to share their love of MSU. Proud Eagles through and through, they’ve demonstrated their pride in many ways over the years. From making their annual contributions to attending alumni events and even volunteering to help gather auction items for MSU’s Annual Spring Gala, they’re always among the first to raise their hands to help.

Through a generous contribution of $25,000, they established the Ronald E. and Sharon Beard Cooper Scholarship Endowment to support students within the Smith College of Business and Technology. Supporting business students – a joint passion and a way to give back to the place they consider their second home.

Support for finance majors

Dr. William “Bill” Whitaker III (Class of 1964) was a beloved member of the MSU family. He received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics and accounting and served as a professor in and dean of the MSU College of Business from 1975-89. He passed away in 2022.

Dr. Whitaker, and wife, Patricia Dorton Whitaker (Class of 1975, 1983), have been loyal supporters of MSU. All five of their children are alumni. His positive impact on countless students was recognized through the creation of a scholarship.

The scholarship benefits finance students and was established by his colleague, Dr. Will McIntosh, who received a real estate award and contributed the winnings to honor Whitaker. The family committed to grow the fund to $25,000.

WHY I GIVE: Bre Howell McCoy (Class of 2018, 2020)

Classmates (pictured left to right) Jacob Miller (Class of 2017, 2019), Samantha Grimes Seitz (Class of 2018), Bre, and Harry Ryan Steele (Class of 2018), established the Achieve Your Dreams Scholarship. As a student, Bre was involved on campus – most notably with the Student Alumni Ambassadors. Having a frontrow seat to philanthropy education and alumni relations, she and some of her fellow ambassadors were inspired to give back. She explains her reasons for giving back to her alma mater:

“Each of us have been consistently active members of the MSU Alumni Association. Most recently, we joined together to create a new scholarship fund, known as the Achieve Your Dreams Scholarship, that awards full-time juniors, seniors, and graduate students with an annual $500 scholarship to help further their education.

While we each arrived at MSU with different majors, different backgrounds, and from different locations, we quickly uncovered a common bond with our shared desire to promote MSU spirit, philanthropy, and tradition. We met through our membership in the Student Alumni Ambassadors organization and discovered how important it is to give back to the institution that shaped us.

MSU supported each of us and our individual pursuits of education and personal development. Making the intentional decision to give back – especially through this scholarship - is one way that we can help pay it forward to help the next generation of Eagles soar.”