Leaving a Legacy

More than $3 million was pledged through donors’ estates during the past fiscal year. In time, these gifts will create a lasting impact and bright futures for countless IUP students.

Jerry Clark ’69, as a two-sport athlete, Jerry excelled not only on the football field, but also on the baseball diamond, and was a three-year starter for both teams. During his time on the football field, he gained three varsity letters as a defensive back and had 12 career interceptions. He was named to the 1968 AP All Pennsylvania first team and to IUP’s 1960s All Decade team. He also received the 1969 Coaches Big Indian Athletic Award for Athlete of the Year. As a baseball player, Jerry gained three more varsity letters and compiled 18 career steals, which as of 1969 was in IUP’s top 20 alltime. He also hit .300 or better twice in his career.

To support IUP students, Jerry and his wife Cheryl (Dunlap) Clark ’68 established the Jerry and Cheryl Clark Boardwalk Bowl Scholarship and intends to further support the scholarship through his estate. The Jerry and Cheryl Clark Boardwalk Bowl Scholarship is one of a family of Boardwalk Bowl endowments established to recognize the legacy of the 1968 Boardwalk Team. Jerry has been instrumental in fundraising, along with other teammates, to ensure the history of the Boardwalk Bowl lives on forever at IUP. “We decided to make this commitment after talking with some other members of the team,” Jerry said. “We got a lot of support when we were here at IUP, and we wanted to provide those opportunities to studentathletes, particularly student-athletes in the football program. We know that, eventually, members of our Boardwalk Bowl team will be gone, and we wanted to keep the legacy of the team alive by promoting the establishment of individual Boardwalk Bowl Endowments along with a Boardwalk Bowl Team Endowment. Presently there are nine individual Boardwalk Bowl Endowments and a Boardwalk Bowl

Team Endowment with those ten funds totaling close to $500,000.” As members of the Boardwalk Bowl Team pass, Jerry and his teammates provide memorial gifts to the Boardwalk Bowl Team Endowment. Jerry is a member to the IUP Athletics Advancement Council.

Noah Johnston is in his third year at IUP, majoring in Community Health and Health Education. A passionate football player from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, he is entering his third season as a Crimson Hawk. Noah chose IUP because of the proximity to home and the great football program. “The coaching staff went above and beyond in the recruiting process to show me I wouldn’t just be going to a school, I would be joining a family,” Noah said.

Receiving this football scholarship has significantly impacted Noah’s education, allowing him to focus on both academics and athletics without the stress of financial burdens. He expresses deep gratitude to the donors for their life-changing support and hopes to give back in the future by positively influencing others as they have influenced him.

After graduation, Noah aspires to pursue a career in sports administration and become a teacher and athletic director, furthering his goal of making a meaningful impact in people’s lives.

Larry F. Sobotka ’63 graduated from IUP with a Bachelor of Science in Education. In September 1963, he joined the faculty at Parkville High School in Baltimore County, Maryland in the Science Department, where he influenced generations of students as a physical science and honors chemistry teacher for 30 years. His tenure at Parkville was divided between teaching chemistry during the day and serving as the Adult Evening School Principal. Larry was a well-respected educator in the community and throughout Baltimore County, Maryland. Upon his passing in May 2023, Larry created a legacy of discovery for generations of future teachers and young learners by enhancing the Larry F. Sobotka Scholarship and the Larry F. Sobotka Science Discovery and Outdoor Learning Center through a transformative estate gift

Located in the courtyard of IUP’s Stouffer Hall, the center is an outdoor classroom facility where students and educators have access to facilities and a natural environment for learning. It includes a large pavilion with seating for instructional presentations, projection and presentation equipment, and cabinets for storage of materials. The center focuses on the wildlife, plants, and environmental features of Pennsylvania, including walkways with tracks from different animals common in the commonwealth. The center is open to use by IUP students, faculty, local community educators, and members of the community, and continues to be used by local groups, including garden clubs and scout troops.

“We are truly honored to receive this gift from the Sobotka estate to support IUP students and the Science Discovery and Outdoor Learning Center,” said Dr. Edel M. Reilly, Dean of the College of Education and Human Services. “This gift coincides with the recent adoption by the State Board of Education of the new academic standards for Science, Technology & Engineering, Environmental Literacy & Sustainability (STEELS). These revised standards prioritize having students productively participate in scientific discourse, practices, and investigation. By having a facility like the Science Discovery Center, IUP can train our future science teachers to be ready to address these standards in their own classrooms one day.”

Kennedi Bishop, a senior Early Childhood and Special education major, believes that the Larry F. Sobotka Science Discovery and Outdoor Learning Center has been an invaluable part of her education. “I first visited the center during a field trip in my freshman year, and I was immediately impressed by its beauty and engaging exhibits,” she said. “Now, as I work at a daycare, I regularly bring children to the center, and they are always thrilled to explore the animal footprints and other interactive displays. It’s such a wonderful resource for outdoor learning and hands-on exploration. The center provides endless opportunities for interactive learning, both for the children I work with and for me as an aspiring educator. It’s a space that sparks curiosity and encourages learning through exploration, which is so important for young minds. It has also helped me develop creative teaching methods that I will carry with me throughout my career.”

Kennedi is a member of the IUP Ambassadors and Student Philanthropy Council. After she graduates, she intends to teach middle school special education or high school life skills.