Wabash College President Gregory D. Hess and Trustee Jennifer Evans have announced the creation of the Mothers’ Fund at Wabash College—an endowed fund allocated at the discretion of the Dean of Students with the aim of improving the student experience.
Evans and her husband, Jack Tankersley, who live in Denver, have made a six-figure commitment to the fund with the long-term objective of seeing it grow to one million dollars or more.
Their hope is that mothers—and even grandmothers, aunts, spouses, and friends—of current Wabash students and alumni will support the fund to ensure that future students will benefit from the same positive student experience as their sons. Alumni and friends are also encouraged to contribute to the Mothers’ Fund in tribute to or in memory of their mothers.
“When Jack and I asked ourselves what impact we wanted to have on the College, we wanted a fund that would be allocated with a mother’s touch, with an eye for ‘this is what mom would do.’” says Evans. “The Dean of Students can say, ‘The Mothers’ Fund is looking out for you.’”
“As the mother of a recently graduated Wabash man, Jennifer Evans knows about the experiences of our students on a level many members of our Board of Trustees do not,” said President Hess. “Their Giant Steps gift to establish the Mothers’ Fund will reach students when they need it most—and provide the kind of financial assistance that can keep young men enrolled at Wabash and on a path to a bright future.”
Jennifer and Jack are hopeful their gift will inspire Wabash-minded men and women to take their own Giant Step. “We want it to be a community effort,” says Jennifer. “Every Wabash man has a woman in his life. We think that this is a place for men to honor those women, and a place for women to honor the men in their lives too.”
The Giant Steps campaign is the largest comprehensive fund-raising campaign in the College’s 186-year history. The campaign seeks to raise $225 million by 2023 with the goals of further endowing generous scholarship programs; funding faculty professorships, chairs, and academic programs; supporting capital projects and the Annual Fund; and providing immersive learning experiences for all Wabash students.
For more information, including the College’s progress to date and ways to give, please visit the Giant Steps website.