A Message from the Chief Executive Officer of the Marshall University Foundation An academic year full of promise lies ahead. As we begin this semester, the freshmen will adjust to the university and our seniors will begin planning for life after graduation. Our sophomores and juniors will continue succeeding and vying for competitive internships, scholarships and research opportunities to increase their industry knowledge and build their resumes. As for our alumni and friends, they continue to make us proud of the time and resources we have invested; and in return, they desire to pay it forward. This edition of Articles of Gratitude provides insight into one of the largest, most generous gifts in the Foundation’s history. Generous benefactor and Marshall alumnus Brad D. Smith, president and CEO of Intuit, and his wife, Alys Smith, established a scholarship fund to benefit West Virginia and Ohio students in 2014. This gift, benefiting students through scholarships and operations, lead to a naming opportunity. Last October, we honored Brad and Alys at a ceremony and formally announced the naming of the Brad D. Smith Foundation Hall. His generosity to his alma mater and home state are truly remarkable. With excitement comes sadness. We have been saddened by the June flooding that left 12 counties in West Virginia devastated. As you can imagine, many of our students were personally affected by this tragedy. The Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine and the Marshall University School of Pharmacy traveled to rural areas to offer services. Our athletic department collected and delivered goods and assisted with cleanup efforts. Our gracious alumni community has stepped up to help students alleviate some of the additional costs incurred by the flooding through contributions to the Student Disaster Relief Fund. Alumni Clubs have held fundraisers to support the state they love and Brad Smith graciously recently gave $500,000, as well as offered free Intuit software for affected small businesses. You see, this is how I know a year full of promise lies ahead. We are striving to make a difference in every student’s life. We are striving to do more in our programs, our community and our state. We are embracing one another and broadening our horizons. We are including everyone in our community and state when we say, “We Are Marshall.” Ronald G. Area Chief Executive Officer, Marshall University Foundation Student Orientation For the second year, the Marshall University Foundation staff participated in student orientation events. For four days in both June and July and two days in August, Foundation staff encouraged the Class of 2020 to sign their banner and take a free family photo. Composed of future engineers, forensic scientists, nurses, educators, journalists, business professionals and doctors, this class represents domestic students from as close as Huntington to as far away as Alaska. Several students remarked that they chose Marshall because of the outstanding Forensic Science program, family ties or after watching We Are Marshall. As Marshall continues to grow, parents and grandparents understand the purpose of the Foundation to build an engagement pipeline for events like Thank A Donor Day, as well as expand their awareness of philanthropy. Students are the future of Marshall University. Through private scholarships, students are majoring in nationally accredited programs that are housed in state- of-the-art facilities. Through donors, students experience firsthand the impact of philanthropy. Welcome, Marshall 2020! To view pictures from student orientation, please visit www.facebook.com/marshallfoundation.