This Christmas, Gonzaga received a special gift that illustrates one family’s dedication to philanthropy and one student’s love for the University. Sarah Babcock – class of 2015 – is one of six grandchildren to Mike and Mary Jo Tucci. For Christmas 2010, Mary Jo and Mike gave each of their six grandchildren a $1,000 grant to give to the charity of their choice. The conditions of these grants were as follows:
1. It had to be disbursed by Christmas 2011.
2. It had to be a minimum of two charities.
3. They had to submit a request form stating the reason why they had chosen the particular charity.
The following is Sarah’s written grant request for the Gonzaga Scholars program:
“I would like to give $500 to the Gonzaga Scholars Program. My first semester at Gonzaga has been an incredible experience. I feel truly fortunate to be able to attend such an amazing school, but at times I have found myself taking all of my opportunities for granted. In just one semester, Gonzaga has proven to be more than just a school. It is a home, a place to meet lifelong friends and a time to grow not only educationally, but emotionally and spiritually as well. My classes have forced me to think critically and to look at life with an open mind. With the financial problems that America is currently facing, it seems to me that providing more students with a well-rounded education is a key systematic fix. Gonzaga can be this fix. I sometimes forget what different path I was living before my mom and Mike got married. My mom, a single parent, might never have been able to afford an education like Gonzaga for me. There are so many students that are in the same situation that I would have been in. And now that I am fortunate enough to donate money, I would like to donate it to them.”
Following her family’s charitable practices as a freshman, Sarah is already living the mission of GU and participating in GU’s fun game of ZagTag. Her request is heartfelt and her gift demonstrates the value Sarah sees in Gonzaga with the belief that every student should have the opportunity to be a Zag.
That’s why Sarah gives back to Gonzaga, and now Sarah tags you.