Back in Pittsburgh, Allen keeps busy by supporting HUGS, an urban gardening project in Pittsburgh’s Hazelwood neighborhood, which serves to educate the Hazelwood community about proper nutrition. Allen is chairman of the HUGS board and has been impressed with six young, female leaders who help keep the project going. “It has been remarkable to watch these women from the Hazelwood community introduce others to the gardens and encourage them to take advantage of them,” says Allen. “The food we grow is free and open to anyone. In three years, there has been no vandalism. People are happy about the gardens and they respect them.” Allen describes her nursing career as an exquisite role. “Through my education, I got a sense of what that could be,” she says. “As health and medical systems change, nurses are more important than ever to patients. They provide continuity for patients and help them navigate changing medical systems. I give to Carlow because I believe future nurses can innovate and improve those systems even further.” Carla Nastala was also moved to give to Carlow during her 25th reunion year. After graduating from Carlow’s School of Nursing in 1986, she worked at UPMC Presbyterian in the intensive care unit.
“My experience at Carlow taught me that, as a woman, I can do anything I want and gave me the confidence to continue my education and pursue a career in nursing,” she says. Nastala received a master’s degree in critical care from the University of Pittsburgh and specialized in heart transplantation and mechanical assistance devices. In 1998, she moved to San Antonio with her husband, where she helped start a transplant program. Now a stay-at-home mom of three teenagers, Nastala and her husband appreciate quality education. “We’re at a point where we can give back to the things that are important to us,” says Nastala. “Seeing our children grow underscored the value of a good education for us, and we decided to give back to our colleges. The reunion year was the perfect time to start.” Nastala’s children are 16, 14, and 11 and attending a college preparatory school at which she is involved with fundraising, athletics, and fine arts programs. Nastala gave to the Carlow Fund as a way to support students who want the type of quality education that Carlow provides. To others who are considering donating in their reunion year, Nastala says not to hesitate. “No amount is too little to help,” she says. “Look into your heart. Whatever you can give will help many students, and it just makes you feel good.”
Tuition Freedom Day Carlow University celebrated Tuition Freedom Day on Thursday, March 24, 2011, honoring the generosity of those whose gifts to the University support daily operations. “Tuition only covers about 78 percent of the costs of providing an education at Carlow,” says Linda Madden-Brenholts, director of the Carlow Fund. “Without gifts from alumnae/i, faculty, staff, parents, and friends of Carlow University, tuition would need to increase, on average, $5,000 per student, per year.” In addition to free treats, facts about philanthropic giving to Carlow, and an opportunity for students to write a personal “thank you” to a donor, Carlow’s Office of University Advancement, along with the Dr. Tom Hopkins Communication Lab, sponsored a student video contest. The winning video—created by Carlow senior Chanessa Shuler, a mass media major from New Kensington, Pa.—can be viewed at http://alum.carlow.edu/giving/ annual/tuition-freedom.html.
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