Helping Cougs who want to help Cougs
Go Cougs!
Today I began another chapter in a story that began in 1971. I didn't know it at the time but a decision I made when I was 18 years old has been one of the most important, longest lasting, and most impactful decisions I've ever made. That was the year that I chose to become a Coug!
Forty years ago this fall, I gassed up my burnt orange Chevy Nova, put a homemade roof rack on top that was filled with a lifetime collection of most important possessions, set a few dozen eight track tapes on the seat beside me and headed off to Pullman, Washington. I knew it was somewhere east of the Cascades, but I wasn't exactly sure where. Turns out, it was farther than I thought. And that was a good thing.
I was the first member of my family to go to college, and I didn't know how to choose one or what to expect. My selection criteria was pretty straight forward. The college I chose had to be in the Pac-8 (so I could see some of the best athletes), be inside the state borders (since I couldn't afford out of state tuition), and be far enough from home that I could enjoy a little freedom (that one saved me from becoming a Husky).
That brought the list down to one - Washington State University. I applied and I was accepted.
And that was it... Until the last few minutes of that 5 hour drive from Lake Stevens to Pullman. For it was in that last mile when the change in my life began. When, from beyond the rolling wheat fields, in the distance on college hill, I saw the crimson glow from the clock in Bryan Tower.
I didn't know it at the time, but there is magic on college hill. It's the kind of magic that creates a special bond. A magic that transforms all who go there into Cougs for life. A magic that creates generations of "undefeated fans".
Today, forty years after making that initial drive to Pullman, I was honored to be invited to join the Washington Statue University Foundation Board of Trustees. I had the privilege of hearing the vision and passion of President Elson S Floyd, Ph.D.. I heard personal stories of flag waving committed Cougs and their reasons for supporting our alma mater. And I became more aware of the importance of the "billion dollar campaign" that is well underway.
I knew I was in the right place, at the right time, to do the right work. For me, it's another important chapter in what has been my life story as a Coug. As a trustee of the foundation I've been asked to "help Cougs who what to help Cougs". I can't wait to see how this chapter unfolds!
"When you are lucky enough to be a Cougar, you are lucky enough"
- Gary Schneidmiller, Chair, WSU Foundation Board of Trustees
Helping Cougs Help Cougs!
