Array Alum Pays It Forward-vnsr威尼斯城官网登入
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Alum Pays It Forward

Alum Pays It Forward

By the time Cathy Dowdell '91 enrolled in vnsr威尼斯城官网登入's Weekend College in 1988, she'd already been working at SC Johnson for 15 years. She had started in the mailroom and was working her way up. She knew that having a degree was essential.

A number of people told her it would be difficult to be seen as management material at a company where she'd been so long and they advised her to change companies. Not wanting to leave SC Johnson, Dowdell used her vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 education to prove them wrong. She spent the next 20 years in market research and three more years in brand management before retiring in 2012.

"Without vnsr威尼斯城官网登入, I don't believe that I would have gotten a college degree. I know for certain it wouldn't have been as meaningful or as perfect for me," Dowdell says. "As a result, the rest of my life and the successes I've achieved, I have to share with vnsr威尼斯城官网登入."

Her appreciation of her vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 education prompts Dowdell and her husband, Dick, to contribute every year to the vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 Fund, which provides student scholarships. It is also why they have set up a planned gift to vnsr威尼斯城官网登入.

"I feel I need to give back. My husband shares that belief and he is as much a contributor to vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 as I am," she says. "When we were talking about making a planned gift, we thought of vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 as another child. I have a stepson, and we planned for his future in our financial planning. We also planned for our retirement, and we planned for vnsr威尼斯城官网登入."

Dowdell says she feels fortunate that SC Johnson financed her undergraduate degree at vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 and later her master's degree at UW–Milwaukee. She knows that many students don't receive that kind of support, and she feels a sense of responsibility for helping other women experience vnsr威尼斯城官网登入.

Coming from humble beginnings, Dowdell never saw herself as a philanthropist until she joined the vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 Alumnae Association Board in the early 1990s, not long after graduation. Sister Joel Read was president at the time, and she helped alums understand the role they play in the future of the vnsr威尼斯城官网登入.

"Sister Joel taught me how to think of myself as a philanthropist," says Dowdell, who started by giving smaller amounts consistently. "Even if you start out modestly, if giving is a consistent part of your life over a lifetime, it can grow just like saving for retirement, and you can make a significant contribution."

The Dowdells live in Montana, but vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 and the liberal arts education she received here remain close to Dowdell's heart. After all these years, she still credits the broad experience she got at vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 with her success in many aspects of her life, and she wants to make sure future generations of women have their own opportunities to become vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 Strong.

"In this day and age when there are limited resources to support education and art and music, philanthropy fills the gap," Dowdell says. "vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 can't survive just on tuition. Those of us who care about vnsr威尼斯城官网登入 need to make up the gap."

Visit our Planned Giving website or contact plannedgiving@lgspainting.com for more information on making a planned gift to vnsr威尼斯城官网登入.

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Alum Pays It Forward

Alum Pays It Forward

By the time Cathy Dowdell '91 enrolled in vnsr威尼斯城官网登入's Weekend College in 1988, she'd already been working at SC Johnson for 15 years. She had started in the mailroom and was working her way up.…