519 JOHN MARSHALL DRIVE HUNTINGTON, WV 25703 P 304.696.6264 WWW.MARSHALL.EDU/FOUNDATION Managing Editor: Kristin Rhodes GRATITUDE Articles of SUMMER 2016 We Are…GRATEFUL When you support the Marshall University Annual Fund, your generosity fuels the engine of innovation. From breaking down educational barriers to researching life-changing discoveries, your gift is a vote of confidence to Marshall students, staff and faculty to not only study the world, but also work to change it. Loyal supporters present Marshall students the opportunity to earn their degrees through scholarships and financial aid. They back student travel, faculty initiatives, academic programs, award- winning athletics and arts programs. They help prepare faculty to excel in their classrooms and prepare students to enter the workforce. Together, with gifts of other alumni, faculty, staff, parents and friends, each gift to the Annual Fund creates flexible and vital resources for the university to address its greatest needs and embrace new opportunities. We Are…MARSHALL! Country Roads, Take Me Home By the time high school graduation rolls around, some West Virginia natives are bursting to enter the real world, far away from the place they were raised. West Virginia’s magnificent mountain views, gorgeous autumn hues and laid-back environment seem to be forgotten until one ends up miles away from home, missing their family and the hand-me-down traditions that have been around for decades. It is easy to get homesick when you are a West Virginia native, not only because of the masterpiece of our country roads, but because of the generous, good-hearted individuals who are as much a staple of the state as the mountains themselves. When you are the CEO of a Fortune 500 company, traveling is a common occurrence. “The first question someone asks after learning my name is what I do for a living. In West Virginia, the immediate question after my name is whether I am a ‘Wayne County Smith or a Cabell County Smith,’” said Brad Smith, Marshall alumnus, Class of 1986, and president and CEO of Intuit. “It is about the character of who I am and the kind of family I come from that matters more than business titles and material things,” he added. For someone who spent 22 years trying to get out of West Virginia, he frequently looks for ways to return. Brad’s strong ties to the university were established far before he realized. As a six-year-old boy, Brad recalls his cousins, who were volunteer firefighters, rushing to the scene of the tragedy that led to the demise of the 1970 Marshall University football team, coaches, staff and boosters. Watching families, the community and the university come together, he realized that “a player who makes a team great is more valuable than simply a great player. Success depends on your ability to make those around you better, meaning you need to be in service of something greater than yourself.” Upon graduating from Ceredo-Kenova High School, Brad attended the U.S. Military Academy at West Point for one semester before returning home to attend Marshall University. Enrolling at Marshall was an easy choice due to its proximity to his family, several of whom are proud alumni. Continued on next page >