Philanthropy | Summer 2011

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INSIDE: Meet five Townsend Memorial Scholarship recipients making a difference on campus and in their communities

philanthropy U N I V E R S I T Y O F M A R Y H A R D I N - B AY L O R

SUMMER 2011

welcome It is an exciting time in the life of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

In February, the Board of Trustees approved a $100 million campus master plan which calls for the construction of several new facilities including a nursing building, a performance hall, a visual arts center, a student union building, and an on-campus football stadium.

Remaining an affordable option for all students continues to be top priority as the university grows. Mary Hardin-Baylor stands by its commitment to annually increase the number of scholarships available to students each year.

As the university moves forward with these plans, your support becomes crucial to accomplishing these goals. Philanthropy’s mission is to keep you up-to-date on the exciting ways your gifts are benefiting the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.

FACULTY AND STAFF GIVING EXCEEDS CAMPAIGN GOAL In October, the university conducted it’s annual employee charitable campaign. This year’s theme, We are Crusaders! Transforming Lives to Impact the World, sought to inspire support for UMHB’s mission and increase employee participation and overall giving. Employees have always given generously but came through in a big way this year, not only meeting but exceeding the $110,000 goal. Over 63% of university employees committed to give this year.

“

UMHB employees have a long history of giving. This year they not only met our expectations; they went well above and beyond.”

— BRENT DAVISON, VICE PRESIDENT FOR DEVELOPMENT

GOAL:

RAISED:

$110,000

$115,609

232

PLEDGED TO GIVE (UP FROM 200 PLEDGES THE PREVIOUS YEAR)

OF 368 EMPLOYEES

Philanthropy is published three times a year by the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor Division of Communications and Special Projects.

To share your comments, you may write to the editor at UMHB Box 8431, 900 College Street, Belton, Texas 76513; send emails to jjones@umhb.edu, or phone 254 295 4164.

For more information about giving to UMHB, please contact the Office of Development at 254 295 4601.

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employees gave for the first time this year

23 EMPLOYEES INCREASED THEIR PLEDGE

T H I S

Y E A R

OF STUDENTS RECEIVED SOME TYPE OF FINANCIAL AID (2723 ST U DE N TS)

OF THIS NUMBER:

61%

WOM E N

39% MEN

27%

WERE THE FIRST I N T H E I R FA M I L I E S TO AT T E N D COL L EGE

43%

A R E A F F I L I AT E D W I T H THE BAPTIST CHURCH

Annual phonathon gives opportunity for students to minister to alumni This year’s phonathon raised more than $25,000 for Loyalty Fund scholarships. But if you ask the 25 students who spent their evenings calling alumni, they will tell you the phonathon is much more about cultivating relationships than fundraising.

The calls often turned to conversations reminiscing about the alumni’s college days and many times ended with the students praying words of encouragement over the person on the other end of the line.

Director of Alumni Relations Rebecca O’Banion, who oversees the phonathon, recalls one particular phone call which took place at just the right time.

“One student called a lady who had been diagnosed with cancer earlier that day. She told the student, ‘I know you are calling about money, but this has been a very difficult day.’ The student did not miss a beat.

She said, ‘Today it’s more important for me to pray for you and encourage you.’ She ministered to the needs of this alumna and recognized that the phonathon is not just about money; it is about relationships.”

Carpenter Foundation provides students with taste of Broadway A grant from the E. Rhodes and Leona B. Carpenter Foundation will provide $7,760 in scholarships for students participating in a musical theater camp this summer at UMHB. Under the direction of the Conservatory of Music, the day camp will offer K-12 students opportunities to learn music and dance routines, design and build sets, and create costumes. Last year the foundation provided scholarships for 54 children who presented the full-length musical “Oklahoma!” to sold-out crowds at the end of the camp. Response to the summer program has been so strong that directors are already planning to offer three performances at the conclusion of this year’s camp, featuring the musical “Hello, Dolly!”

PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

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a family

tradition

Each year, the Alumni Association awards the Townsend Memorial Scholarship to students with alumni family members. The scholarship, which has been awarded for over 50 years, was made possible by a trust left in the will of longtime university champions E.G. and Elli Moore Townsend. The Townsends devoted most of their lives to helping Mary HardinBaylor students. Dr. Townsend served in various positions as vice president, dean, and head of the religion department from 1901 until 1947. Mrs. Townsend, an 1879 graduate, was the founder of the Alumni Association and the Cottage Home System, which was the first college work-study program in the state. This year, sixteen deserving students were selected to receive the Townsend Memorial Scholarship. Meet five of them here.

AND Y PIPES For junior Andy Pipes the decision to attend UMHB was all about keeping it in the family.

Pipes is the fourth generation and 14th member of his family to attend Mary Hardin-Baylor, beginning with his great-grandmother Merlyne Ponce, who was a student in the early 1920s.

Pipes, a business marketing and economics double major from Maypearl, Texas, said when making his college selection, UMHB stood out above the rest. “I looked at different colleges, but when I visited UMHB I immediately felt the community aspect. I like that the school is small enough that I can get to know people on a personal level. It just felt like home.�

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PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

K R IS T IN A ZUFALL Junior psychology major Kristina Zufall turned her past struggles with an eating disorder into a platform for raising awareness and helping others facing similar trials.

“Coming into college I was classified as anorexic—I lost 40 pounds before midterms my freshman year. I was hoping to gain the freshman 15; I ended up having to gain about 80 pounds. Because of that experience, I am really passionate about helping others going through similar circumstances,” Zufall said.

Through her work with the university counseling center, Zufall has brought awareness to campus through a website she created as a resource for students battling eating disorders.

Zufall, who is from Jersey Village, Texas, hopes to work in Christian ministry or counseling after graduating. She said the Townsend Scholarship has made it possible for her to receive a Christian education that will prepare her for a lifetime of ministering to others.

“I am so grateful to attend a school that cares about people. UMHB has given me the chance to turn a difficult experience in my life into something positive that will influence others for the better.”

PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

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BA I LE Y BURKS Freshman Bailey Burks is the third Burks sibling to attend UMHB. Growing up watching her older brother and sister get involved in campus life, the Hillsboro native knew one day she would follow in their footsteps.

“Mary Hardin-Baylor has always felt like family to me. My parents pretty much had to kick my brother and sister out of college, they loved their time at UMHB so much.”

As Burks, an exercise sport science major, has gotten involved on campus, she said she is most impressed with the Christian values ingrained into every aspect of campus.

“I love that the professors here know you by name; they are here to help you. My chemistry professor prays before every single chemistry class. I feel so blessed to be a part of that kind of environment.”

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PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

J O R D A N MULLINNIX & J U ST IN MULLINNIX Twins Jordan and Justin Mullinnix have faced many tough games playing for the Crusader football team, but nothing compared to the challenge they faced when their younger brother Mark was diagnosed with a brain tumor in 2007. He was in the hospital for over a year and is now in remission.

The twins, who are from Normangee, Texas, said being close to home was a big factor when selecting a college.

“The three of us always had each other growing up, so we weren’t about to take off and go too far from our brother. UMHB is only about two hours from home, which is great because Mark can come up and visit us on the weekends,” Justin said.

The brothers said the Townsend Scholarship has lifted a weight off their family’s shoulders.

“Since we’ve been here, money has kind of been tough,” Jordan said. “On paper we don’t qualify for much financial aid because of our parents’ income, but in reality so much of that income is going toward hospital bills. Not to mention the fact that there’s two of us going to school at the same time. So the fact that we both got the scholarship is such a huge help to our family.”

The brothers are hopeful that in another year there might be a third Mullinnix brother at UMHB. “Mark is talking about coming here when he graduates; we can’t wait.”

PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

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making a

direct impact ALUMNI CHRIS CUMMINS INVESTS IN THE LIVES OF STUDENT ATHLETES

WHEN CHRIS CUMMINS ’75 WAS A KID GROWING UP IN BELTON, he would ride his bicycle over to Mary Hardin-Baylor, searching the campus for discarded Coke bottles to sell for two cents apiece.

“The college girls would sit outside the dorms drinking Cokes and then throw their bottles in the bushes. It wasn’t long before I realized I had a little piggy bank in the bushes there.”

That early entrepreneurial spirit has led to a successful career in the oil and gas service and supply industry. And when he had the opportunity to give back, Cummins could think of no better place than his alma mater.

“I’ve always wanted to do something for the university in some way or another. I got so much out of going to school here.

It was time to give something back,” Cummins said.

After playing tackle at Belton High School, Cummins was recruited to a state school on a football scholarship. There he met his future wife, Cindy, and once they were married, the two returned to Belton where Cummins finished his education at Mary Hardin-Baylor.

“There was such a difference going from a state school to UMHB. I was so impressed by the care and concern the teachers had for their students. They took an interest in me personally.”

Cummins worked through college in the accounting depart8

PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

ment of Mobil Chemical in Temple. After graduating, he moved to the Midland/Odessa area to work in the oil field service industry. He remains in the profession today, serving as Vice President of Sales for an oil field supply company based out of Birmingham, Ala. Over the years, he and his wife have given major gifts to the university’s Football Excellence Fund, which supports the program’s operational budget.

“As a former athlete, I respect the fact that these kids play for the love of the game. They came here to play football, and my hope is they leave with a degree. I want to do something to make their time here a little nicer so they want that degree. There are so many people that kick in; I’ve just done what little I can do.”

When the university broke ground on a 9,429 square-foot expansion to the team’s field house this past April, it was quickly decided that the new building would be named Cummins Field House as a tribute to the Chris and Cindy, who have supported the program so generously in the past. The honor brings tears to Cummins’ eyes.

“Its humbling because there’s nothing perfect about me,” Cummins said. “I’m just an oil field hand who came across something good that happened in my life and wanted to share it.”

When I’m spending time with the team, I just want to be Chris. I don’t even want them to know that building is named after me. I just enjoy being a part of it; I enjoy getting to be around them.”

—C H R I S

C UM M I NS

’ 7 5

IN 1998, ANDERSEN FIELD HOUSE WAS CONSTRUCTED TO meet the needs of 100 football players and their coaching staff.

As the program has progressed over the past 13 years, the 175 players now using the space each year have outgrown the original 10,000 square-foot facility. This past April, construction began on a 9,429 square-foot addition, which will be connected to the existing building by an architectural tower and a covered walkway. Both buildings will have new masonry exteriors. Cummins Field House will include expanded locker rooms, a trainers room, a hydration station, an equipment room with compact storage, and shower and restroom facilities. The building is expected to be completed and ready for use by late fall 2011.

PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

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a higher calling UNIVERSITY’S FIRST GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIP INSPIRES ASPIRING COUNSELORS

REINA DAVISON WAS ONE OF THE FIRST IN HER FAMILY TO graduate from college. Now, her commitment to higher education is reflected with a different kind of first.

The Reina I. Davison Graduate Scholarship in Marriage and Family Christian Counseling is the university’s first graduate scholarship. The scholarship was established as a named annual scholarship in honor of Davison by her husband, Brent.

“Christian counseling has been a large part of Reina’s life ministry since the day I first met her. This scholarship is a significant and meaningful way for me to honor her life’s work, while supporting students with the same calling,” he said.

Davison’s journey to earning a college degree was not a typical one. She was raised in the heart of Manhattan, New York.

Her parents were first-generation immigrants from Honduras, who came to America in hopes of offering their children better educational opportunities.

“My parents’ goal was that their children would attend college,” Davison said. “However, during my junior year in high school I began to abandon my original college plans. I became deeply distracted with the media coverage of our country at war in Vietnam. I felt a strong calling and was determined to serve.”

Davison enlisted in the army and served in numerous over10

PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

seas assignments. “The military was a perfect fit for me. I was especially fond of my assignment as a chaplain’s assistant, since it had to do with counseling and servanthood.”

It was that assignment which further confirmed for Davison something she had felt since she was 11 years old: her life’s passion was in Christian family counseling. After the war ended, Davison earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology and a master’s degree in clinical social work. She went on to complete a post-graduate marriage and family therapist program with the Karl Menninger School of Psychiatry in Topeka, Kan. “Even though I was twenty-five by the time I earned my bachelor’s degree, I’ve never regretted the decision to serve in the military. What led me into the field of marriage and family therapy in the first place was the desire to serve others outside of myself, wherever I could be used.”

Davison sees her role as a therapist as a ministry opportunity.

She emphasized the importance of combining clinical knowledge with the biblical principles outlined in God’s word.

“I hope these scholarship recipients will use their degree in Marriage and Family Christian Counseling totally for His glory. Being a Christian therapist is not just about counseling; it’s also about contributing to our society by fulfilling the Great Commission.”

NAMED ANNUAL SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAM Donors may establish a Named Annual Scholarship in a variety of ways. Individuals, couples, families, churches or businesses who commit to give at least $1,000 annually may name a scholarship. The scholarship may be named for the individual, couple, family, church or business, or it may be established to honor a loved one, a favorite professor or mentor, or as a memorial in the name of a loved one. For more information, please contact the Office of Development at 254 295 4601.

PHILANTHROPY | SUMMER 2011

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Non-Profit Org. U.S. Postage PAID Waco, TX Permit No. 1519

900 College Street • Belton, Texas 76513

In the 2011-2012 school year, student scholarship funding is expected to increase by $3.5 million. With this increase, the university will offer students more than $14 million in institutionally funded financial aid.