 Dear UNI Alumni and Friends:
It goes without saying that these are challenging economic times and like many of you, the UNI Foundation has been affected by them. For the past 10 years, the UNI Foundation’s investments have consistently outperformed benchmarks for their investment classes. This year, however, all types of investments have suffered rapid and severe losses, and this has affected all investors—organizations and individuals alike. Although the market has stabilized somewhat, the decline over the past several months has diminished the value of many of the foundation’s endowed scholarships and endowed program support funds.
Because of this, the foundation’s ability to fund scholarships from our endowment accounts has been diminished. However, to compensate for this loss, the university has made a commitment to provide additional support for scholarship awards in the upcoming academic year. This reflects UNI’s commitment to protecting student financial aid and promoting students’ progress to graduation.
Your continuing support for UNI is especially important. Your gifts for scholarships can enable a student to continue study toward the degree that will offer new employment opportunities. Your
contributions to UNI programs can help maintain quality despite state appropriation reductions. Your Annual Fund gifts benefit all areas of the university and help build its long-term sustainability.
On behalf of the University of Northern Iowa and our students, I thank you for your continued support.
Sincerely,
William D. Calhoun, Jr. ’79
President of the UNI Foundation
Vice President for University Advancement
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Legacy of family, community and ISTC: Robert and Eloise Dennis pay it forward
Eloise Beatty Dennis ’54 left a legacy for her family by preserving their heritage in a book titled “Lewis Bottoms, Its Legacy and Lore.” The story documents the history of the first family to settle in Fayette Township, a few miles north of what is now Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The section on school days underscores the importance of education to the settlers and those who followed.
Inspired by her family’s emphasis on education, at the age of 16 Eloise seized the opportunity to attend Iowa State Teachers College with the aid of a merit scholarship.
 “I arrived on campus at age 16, took what was called a ‘canned’ schedule, worked in the alumni office, made lifelong friends, achieved the Purple Arrow Award, and entered the teaching world at age 18,” she said. “It was quite an opportunity for a young farm girl.”
After graduating from ISTC, Eloise taught in the California, Colorado and Iowa school systems. She earned a master’s degree in elementary math education while living in Colorado.
In 1957, Eloise married Robert Dennis, a vocational agriculture teacher in Lone Tree, Iowa. Robert earned a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree from Iowa State University in 1962 and established successful small animal hospitals in California and Colorado.
In 1993, Eloise and Robert returned to Iowa and their roots. They built a new home on Eloise’s family’s 1839 homestead and restored her great-grandparents’ 1892 house as an ancestral museum. The restoration is chronicled in the pages of Eloise’s book.
The Dennis’ legacy also will continue on the pages of UNI’s history through a Charitable Gift Annuity with the UNI Foundation. According to Eloise, “We were both of retirement age, and some additional planning was in order. The Charitable Gift Annuity seemed the best choice: avoid capital gains taxes, significant tax savings initially and annually, and life income, with the remainder giving another student a chance to succeed.”
As a child, Eloise frequently heard the expression, “an education is something they can’t take from you.”
“It holds true today and the need to make education available is critical,” she said. “The $600 that paid for tuition and board for a quarter in 1952 would fall far short today. So, with warm enthusiasm, we adhere to the motto, ‘pass it on.’ “ |
Scholarships influence research, deepen understanding of the world
University of Northern Iowa senior Alexa Warwick is eager to connect her knowledge to real-world issues.
“I get really excited about the research I do because it is question-oriented, which means I get to discover the answer,” said Warwick, who is majoring in biology, Portuguese and Spanish.
The generosity of many donors has helped Warwick make those connections. Scholarships for tuition, research, travel and study abroad have allowed Warwick to focus on her research and studies. Warwick received the Symposium Scholarship through the College of Natural Sciences, which clinched her decision to attend UNI. Other donors include the Dave Swanson Research Grant and the Alan Orr Research Grant.
Through three study abroad scholarships, Warwick studied in Brasilia, Brazil, last fall where she did fieldwork and lab work, practiced her Portuguese and gained valuable experience in a new culture.
Florida State University has offered Warwick a fellowship to continue her research. Warwick says she looks forward to attending graduate school, traveling for research, learning new languages and becoming the link between people and research.
Scholarships inspire "pay it forward" attitude
One of Sherman Wise’s goals is to graduate from the University of Northern Iowa with a debt of no more than $12,000 so he can dive into his real passion: philanthropy. He already has an impressive resume including three internships at non-profit  agencies in the Cedar Valley. He also volunteers at several organizations and his church.
“I want to be remembered for the good I did, not for being famous,” said Wise, a junior public relations major. “The scholarships I’ve received from Carver Trust and Principal Financial broaden my opportunities to ‘pay it forward.’ It sets the path for the future because I’ll be able to give back much more than the dollars I have received. Not everyone has the opportunities that I have had here at UNI. I want to make this happen for others.”
As the oldest of five brothers and a father of two, Wise is eager to be the role model he lacked while growing up.
“It’s hard to learn how to swim if you’ve never seen water,” he said.
Through his college career and involvement in the community, Wise has met several mentors. Private support and great mentors helped him find the path to success. Wise is determined to become a philanthropist, finish writing his life story, “The Transformation,” and start his own public relations firm, Wise Decisions. |
