Alma College Alum Follows Parents Lead in Giving
by Ellen Doepke
Ryan Webb will never forget his Alma College graduation. That day in 2000, he learned his parents had been generously donating to Alma each term while writing a check for tuition.
"My response was, ‘Are you nuts?'" he says. "But my dad reminded me of something that had escaped me in my glad-to-be-graduated haze: Every single term that I spent at Alma was made possible by scholarships. This conversation made an impact on me, and it's why I give to Alma every year."
Taking his parents' philosophy to heart, Ryan, a district business manager at Pfizer, says his fellow alumni and friends should give what they can to Alma.
"Even if it's just $20, I think everyone who attended Alma and has a job should give something every year," he says. "After all, Alma gave us the opportunity to excel and gain experiences from which we still draw upon today."
Honoring a Friend's Life
Ryan specifically gives to the Eric Didocha Scholarship Fund, which was created by a group of Sigma Alpha Epsilon brothers to honor Eric's life and what he meant to them and SAE. Eric died in 2004 at the age of 26.
"To this day, Eric's death is the single most devastating experience of my life," Ryan says. "The scholarship is awarded to one SAE student each year for most representing the kind of person Eric was-the kind of friend who worked at being a good friend. He also was one of the most fun loving people I've ever been around."
Give With Purpose
To learn more about how you can honor a loved one with a memorial gift to Alma College, contact Sherie L. Veramay at 989-463-7316 or veramaysl@alma.edu.