SHARING A GIFT RECEIVED Through Giving

Growing up in Jackson, Miss., Mary Linda Portner ‘74 had never even heard of Spring Hill College. That all changed in the Spring of 1970 when a relative recommended she get a "good Jesuit education."

Decades later, Mary Linda Portner and her husband, Paul Fisher, are committed to giving that "good Jesuit education" to students for generations to come with a scholarship fund.

Portner has since looked back fondly at her years on the Hill. "Spring Hill allowed me to become the person that God created me to be," she reflected. She attributes a number of role models, friends, and educators with making her college experience so impactful.

"There were brilliant Jesuits who were on faculty here. We also had great professors with graduate degrees from very prestigious institutions," Portner recalled as she remembered the first-class education she received. Although, the most important part of her experience was the connections she made with those she admired. She said, "We knew that our faculty members truly cared about what was going on in our lives."

Portner experienced this first-hand when her father was diagnosed with cancer and shortly passed away a few weeks later. Upon hearing the news, Spring Hill's chaplain rounded up as many of her friends as he could find and put them in a van to Jackson so that they could support their friend, Mary Linda, at the funeral. Portner reflected, "That was so touching. There was a real degree of caring and nurturing that went on here."

The Fisher-Portners have always felt called to give back to Spring Hill. "The reason we give is because we are blessed, and we feel strongly that you share your blessings." Fisher knew how much Spring Hill changed his wife's life and decided to start a scholarship so that future students can experience the same blessings. Fisher said, "We want to share an experience with others who may not be able to afford a Spring Hill education. We want to share the gift that we've received with other people."

In 2005, the Fisher-Portners met a few scholarshipeligible students and formed connections that led them to give back. Portner said, "Paul was so impressed with the young women who were with us that we decided to endow a scholarship for young women of color who are first generation students."

While the Fisher-Portners had given annually for years, the gift of a scholarship proved to have a lasting impact on the mission they believe in so strongly. Fisher said, "Making an estate gift is like planting a tree under whose shade you will never sit.You have the faith in the institution that is going to nurture your gift and grow it into something that is going to provide shade for generations to come."

Following successful careers and now retired, Mary Linda and Paul understand the value of education. Both are intent on passing that great gift to the future. "We are who we are today because of our education. And if we give back, there's people who will become who they should be," Fisher said.