Dear Mr. Dinges,
The impact of one gift L
ast year, William A. Dinges ’65 and his wife, Dr. Maureen McGarvey Dinges, established a scholarship to be awarded to a full-time upper-class student who is a veteran of the armed services—with a special preference for serving in a combat zone. Dinges, a lawyer who lives in Atlanta, enlisted in the U.S. Army following his graduation from Millersville and entered Infantry Officer Candidate School. In 1967, he was a rifle platoon leader in the jungles of Vietnam. That experience resulted in numerous commendations including the Bronze Star Medal for valor and two Purple Hearts. Dinges’s endowment is the first scholarship at
Millersville University that honors the service of a veteran. This spring, Timothy S. Opinaldo was awarded the scholarship. Opinaldo is a decorated combat veteran who has completed tours in Iraq and Afghanistan. He is a husband and the proud father of two: a daughter, 11, and 2-year-old son. A geography major, he expects to receive his undergraduate degree in May 2012 and will then pursue his master’s degree in geography. He plans to continue his career in the U.S. Army as a commissioned officer. The impact of this gift is best told through the letter of appreciation the scholarship recipient sent to Bill Dinges earlier this summer.
CAMPAIGN UPDATE
Sir, firstly, I would like to say thank you for th e scholarship I have rec eived from you. With ou t your help, I would no t be able to complete my undergraduate degree without accruing stu dent loan debt. The mone y I have received not jus t pays for my education , but also helps me su pport my family financially. Eighteen months ago I was in Iraq debating whether or not I would be able to pay for my ed ucation and also take care of my family. With aid such as yours, you ha ve made it possible. I wi ll use the money wise ly and always be thankful of the contributions fro m past Millersville alumni, su ch as yourself. Secondly, I would like to take a moment to thank you for your se rvice to our country. As a fellow brother in arm s, I am proud to cont inu e to protect the freedom s that you protected by your service. I have lea rned that veterans, no matter the era or bran ch, have a connectio n with each other that no on e else can have. Hope fully, in a few years and wi th a successful career, I can return the favor to another young veteran seeking an education like you have for me. Thank you and God ble ss you for everything you have done. Timothy S. Opinaldo
SFC, AR, PAARNG S2 NC OIC
“a great universit y c annot be succ essful without the support fr om alumni and the comm unit y.”
$74.5 million
pledged as of 8/20/11
$85 million (goal)
Campaign Update Fall 2011 19
