JANE HUDDLE
Jane Huddle is a Tar Heel. The North Carolina native applied to only one school—the University of North Carolina. She graduated in 1978 with a degree in math and went on to work for Duke Energy, where she is still employed. She met her husband, Jim, at the company, and he is a Tar Heel, too. You might be asking yourself what two Tar Heels have to do with Virginia Tech. The answer is simple: The couple has two children—John and Johanna—and both are Hokies. When the Huddles’ older child, John, was getting ready to graduate from high school in 2003, he knew he wanted to study engineering; and while he visited a number of schools, Virginia Tech was the place for him. “As he was doing the campus tour,” Jane said, “I could tell by the look on his face that this was where this child was going.” John graduated in 2007 and now works for a general contractor in Richmond, Va. In 2008, Johanna followed her brother to Virginia Tech, where she is currently a double major in architecture and Spanish. For the Huddles, it makes sense to support the institution where their children receive their educations, so they have been generous supporters of Virginia Tech. They’ve given to the Hokie Parents Fund, the Center for the Arts, the Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) Endowed Lecture Fund, and more. In 2008, Jane attended Tech’s WLP Conference. That fall, she was invited to be a member of the WLP Council, which provides advice to university administrators about ways to engage women with university initiatives. For anyone considering getting involved at Virginia Tech, either through philanthropy or service, Jane has this to say: “You do not have to be a Virginia Tech graduate. Your association can come through any number of ways—a spouse, your children, or just a desire to support a school doing great things. Find what interests you, and get involved.”
Albert Raboteau is the director of development communications. Amy Ostroth (M.A. English ’97) is the former publications editor for University Development.
26
www.vtmagazine.vt.edu
1978 Graduates from the University of North Carolina
2003 Son John matriculates at Tech, Jane and Jim make first gift to Parents Fund
2007 John graduates from Tech
2008 Attends Women in Leadership and Philanthropy (WLP) conference
2008 Daughter Johanna matriculates, Jane becomes member of WLP Council
2009 Makes generous pledge to the WLP Endowed Lecture Fund