Traditions Newsletter Spring 2010

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U C U F N F D ou A T nd I O at N io . ucf n ,

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v SPRING 2010

u n i v ersit y of c en tral f l or i da

ucf f oundation, inc.

One Thing You Can Always Count On While stocks may be down and unemployment up, there is one thing that has not changed—something that can give you certainty, predictability and security in a topsy-turvy world—a reliable and steady charitable gift annuity.

T

he beauty of a charitable gift annuity is that it

of payments to you, any funds remaining in the gift

never changes. No matter what the economy

annuity go directly to our mission as a legacy in

does, the gift annuity remains the same.

your name. That’s something you can count on.

Just as a gift annuity is reliable, it is simple to

Call 407.882.1260, e-mail giftplan@mail.ucf.edu,

understand. It is based on your age or the beneficiary’s

or visit ucf.giftlegacy.com for more information.

when it is funded. It’s that simple.

When you fund a gift annuity with us, we agree to pay you at a fixed rate for as long as you live. No matter how long you live or how the economy sways and swoons, your payments are secure and safe with us.

The payment rates are higher than a CD, and they are backed by the full faith and assets of our organization.

No matter how long you live or how the economy sways and swoons, your annuities are secure and safe with us.

Just as we have always been there for you in the past, we will be here for you in the future.

If something that is dependable, reliable and totally predictable has merit for you right now, then you will definitely want to learn more. You’ll also discover gift annuities have a second advantage. After a lifetime

W h i c h o f t h e f o l low i n g w i l l n ot c h a n g e i n t h e n e x t f i v e y e a r s?

A. The economy B. Real estate prices C. Gasoline prices D. Your charitable gift annuity Answer: D.

Your charitable gift

annuity. While the economy, real estate and gasoline prices are all guaranteed to change, you can count on your gift annuity to stay the same for as long as you live.

u n i v ersit y of c en tral f l or i da

I n v e s t m e n t s & T h e Eco n o m y

The Inspired Desire to Retire Higher Finding Security in a Charitable Gift Annuity Retirement is not what it used to be. The days of gold watches, endless days of shuffleboard and park benches are gone. Now retirement means tennis lessons, travel and new adventures. It is more a continuation of what we are already doing.

Y

ou can plan today to make all this possible tomorrow. Perhaps the best way to plan for retirement is

Wa n t to T e st a D e f e r r e d Gift Annuity?

not to consider it as a far off event, but something you can do here and now to make your life better.

Fund a deferred gift annuity. Like an

1. Try a $20,000 gift annuity this year and defer it for 15 years.

2. If you like it, fund another one

“immediate� gift annuity, a deferred

next year for $20,000 and defer

gift annuity will give you an income tax

it 15 years.

deduction, capital gains benefits and

3. That way not only can you test

dependable fixed income for life. However,

the water a little at a time, but

with a deferred gift annuity, you can choose

you can also look forward to a

the start date. It could be one year from

stream of payments that will

now, ten, or forty. The longer the delay

more than double in your second

(or deferral period), the higher your

year of retirement.

payment rate will be and the higher your income tax deduction will be.

How Can a Deferred Gift Annuity Benefit You? No matter your age, a deferred gift annuity can provide a steady stream of income for your future. For example, a fifty-year old who funds a gift annuity for $10,000 today and delays the payments, can look forward to the following payments depending on when they start:

2020

$200 (8%)

2025

$260 (10.4%)

2030

$345 (13.8%)

Please note that payments remain the same for life and a higher payment also includes a higher income tax deduction each year. There are other benefits too. Call the UCF Foundation, Inc. at 407.882.1260 or visit ucf.giftlegacy.com for more information.

Three Professors Nurture Nursing Education

by Elizabeth Herrera

T

hree College of Nursing faculty members have

helped develop a web-based program for nurses at Brigham

established endowed scholarships, deepening

Young University.

their legacies to UCF: Drs. Diane Wink, Jean Kijek

and Linda Hennig.

The Drs. Linda M. and E. Glenn Hennig, Jr. Endowed Scholarship will be awarded to students in the nurse

Together with her husband, Dr. Wink established the Diane

educator program—and it’s also in honor of her late husband,

and Lawrence Wink Endowed Nursing Scholarship for

Dr. E. Glenn Hennig, Jr., a neuropsychologist who supported

undergraduate nursing students. Dr. Wink remembers the

nursing education. “It’s in his memory and is a part of my

excitement of being a nursing student—and is glad to see it

legacy that I wanted to have as an ongoing endowment,” she

continue at UCF and in her work as a nursing practitioner.

said. “Of all the things I’ve done in nursing, I think nursing

“Nursing is a field where you can, during your career, do a

education is where I’ve found my fit.”

wide variety of different things and still be doing the core

Hennig hopes that her scholarship will help reduce stress

mission of the profession, which is helping people maintain

for nursing students, help them work fewer hours outside of

and improve their health,” Wink said.

school and feel recognized academically. “I’m very pleased

Dr. Kijek attended nursing school at New York University

that I’m able to do this,” said Hennig.

(NYU) at the same time Wink and Hennig did, but had a special friendship with Hennig—they were roommates.

Sharing an interest in acute trauma, Wink and Hennig met in NYU’s rehabilitation nursing program. Kijek feels strongly about engaging with the political aspects of nursing as well.

The Dr. Jean C. Kijek Doctoral Student Endowed Scholarship is for students who are enrolled in nursing’s Ph.D. program at UCF. “I always wanted to be a teacher, so I’m in education,” she said. “But my mother was once a patient when I was in high school, and I saw some things that made me want to go into nursing.”

Dr. Hennig chose to focus on rehabilitation because she was drawn to the long-term patient-doctor relationships the field offered—but technology excited her, as well. In 1998, she

(left) Dr. Jean Kijck; (center) Dr. Linda Hennig; (right) Dr. Diane Wink.

u n i v ersit y of c en tral f l or i da

Third Time’s a Charm With a grin, John Elsea, president of the University Club of Orlando Foundation, signed a commitment to fund the club’s third $100,000 endowed scholarship benefiting students at UCF. “Our members have a long history of sharing their

planning,” said Adam. “I also plan on giving back to

success with the community at large,” Elsea said.

the community that gave me such amazing support. I

“We are committed to fostering and encouraging

cannot thank the University Club of Orlando enough.”

excellence and achievement in education.”

Since 1932, the club has focused on providing financial support to talented students in Central Florida. Through member contributions and annual fundraising golf tournaments, the club has contributed more than $1 million in scholarships to Orlando-area colleges and universities.

Michelle Messina, a sophomore from Winter Park, Florida is a Burnett Honors College student hoping to go to law school when she graduates. While she is at UCF, Michelle is making the most of it serving on the President’s Leadership Council, the Student Government Association and with the Office of Student Involvement on the Homecoming

“The Foundation’s goal is to give students in our

Executive Board, to name just a few of her many

community the power to open doors of opportunity

volunteer projects.

that lead them down many paths of success in hopes that they will prosper and grow. The scholarships are small tokens of our appreciation to give back to a community that has given us so much,” stated Gavin Watson, former president of the University Club of Orlando Foundation.

An endowed scholarship is a lasting way to change the lives of students. “After years of hard work, I finally caught a big break and I am so grateful,” said Adam Straka, finance major from Longwood, Florida and summer intern at Lockheed Martin.

“It was a huge relief to my family, as

“I love being involved on campus, and the scholarship allowed me to really expand my involvement,” Michelle said. “It also helped take away some of the worry in my life…last semester I took six classes with each class needing at least one book. This scholarship made it possible to purchase everything I needed.”

The generosity and vision of decades of University Club of Orlando members has created opportunities for talented students like Adam and Michelle to succeed and contribute to their communities.

it will definitely allow me to finish college and start me on the path to graduate school.”

Adam’s future looks bright. “I plan on going to UCF for my MBA after I graduate and become an entrepreneur or go into financial

(pictured above) Dave Walker. President, University Club of Orlando; Adam Straka, scholarship recipient; Fernando Gonzalez Portillo, scholarship recipient; John Elsea, President, University Club Foundation

ucf f oundation, inc.

First-rate Student Wins First American Title Scholarship “It was one of those things I’ll never forget,” says Dr. Kathy Cook, instructor and internship coordinator for Legal Studies in the College of Health and Public Affairs (COHPA). “When a new student tells you they’re going to graduate with a perfect 4.0 GPA, you remember.” That’s exactly what Lianna “Lia” Hartwell told Dr. Cook when she arrived at UCF. Lia graduated in May of 2009 with a degree in Legal Studies, along with that perfect 4.0 GPA. So, when the New Jersey transplant won the First American Title Scholarship, no one was surprised.

Lia was drawn to UCF after a campus visit. “I felt really at home there,” she said. “The staff and faculty were open and accepting. They didn’t know me at all and really went out of their way to help me.” Her time at UCF would take her through and prepare her for numerous successes.

In addition to the First American Title fund, Lia also received scholarships from COHPA and The Burnett Honors College.

As a student in The Burnett Honors College, she wrote a thesis on the use of circumstantial evidence in convicting defendants in high-profile murder cases. Her thesis was particularly impressive to David Slaughter, assistant professor and legal studies program director. David was a member of her thesis review committee. “Lia’s thesis was very well written and she gave an excellent presentation,” he said. The way she compared some of the more sensational, historical cases with more current ones was extremely well done. We all had high expectations of her and she did not disappoint.”

While keeping her 4.0 GPA intact, working numerous jobs, studying for the LSAT and commuting from St. Cloud, Lia found time to volunteer as a mentor at Harmony Middle School. She helped students in the international science fair.

“The students had to pick an epidemic issue and evaluate it,” Lia said. “I recruited two UCF professors to help. We chose to study gene-splicing in the prevention of HIV and AIDS. We studied a tribe in Africa that is immune to the virus. Our group was the only sixth-grade team allowed to enter the fair. The other teams were all from the eigth-grade. Our team didn’t win, but they’ve already been asked to submit their work next year.”

“Lia was a remarkable student,” said Dr. Cook. “In addition to graduating with honors, she managed to work and study and get involved in the college, all while dealing with some difficult issues of her own. She excelled in just about everything she did and never used any personal problem as an excuse. In fact, I believe those personal challenges helped her focus on what was really important to her—an education.”

(left) Stephanie Lanoue ‘09, recipient of COHPA scholarship; (center) Dean of COHPA, Dr. Michael Frumkin; (right) Lia Hartwell ‘09.

Lia has gone on to pursue her law degree at Florida International University in Miami. She is focusing on criminal law. “My grandfather is retired from the Air Force so I’ve been interested in their JAG (Judge Advocate General) program for a long time.” Each year, only 100-120 attorneys are selected as Air Force Judge Advocates through several different accession programs. The JAG program offers attorneys a rare opportunity to practice law and make a valuable and lasting contribution to our country. “I’d like to make it to the JAG Corps someday, but my ultimate goal is to return to UCF as a professor.”

Those may seem like lofty goals, but judging by her early successes, there’s no question she’ll reach them.

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UCF FOUNDATION, INC. foundation.ucf.edu