Jack H. Dembow '77 Scholarship

A career in health care management had always been a goal for Jack Dembow '77. After graduating from Ithaca with a degree in health services administration, he was hired as an assistant administrator at a 200-bed community general hospital in Philadelphia. From there, he took positions of increasing responsibility, until in 1997 he was appointed vice president of the Jefferson Health System, the largest health care alliance in southeastern Pennsylvania. Jack retired from JHS in 2001. In the summer of 2005 Jewish Family and Children’s Services of Greater Philadelphia approached him about leaving retirement for a leadership position, and he now serves as that organization's president and CEO.

"I’ve been blessed with a wonderful life, and I attribute a large part of my success to my Ithaca College experience," Jack said.

Jack looks back on his undergraduate experience -- in particular the year he spent at the London Center -- as the beginning of a vital socialization process. "No matter how well rounded you think you are at 19, you don't know how well rounded you're not until you meet people from all over the country and the world. That's the beginning of maturity."

Though Jack didn't stay close to the College following graduation, memories of his college years came back during retirement. "During that time I traveled a lot, rebuilt my house, and developed into a pretty accomplished potter. In that period of reflection, I realized that during my career, I had met a number of talented employees who, had they been able to earn a degree, could surely have transitioned into top management. The college experience had made such a crucial difference in my life, and I saw where it could do the same for others -- so I reconnected with my alma mater. By endowing a scholarship, I was helping to make sure that talented people wouldn't be held back for the lack of a college education."

In 2003 Jack established the Jack H. Dembow '77 Scholarship. It is awarded annually to a student with strong academic achievement and demonstrated financial need who is entering Ithaca College to prepare for a career in health care leadership.

"I make contributions to many organizations, as we all do," Jack said. "But those gifts don't necessarily encourage the recipients to become donors themselves. However, creating a scholarship is an entirely different animal. I'd like to believe that my scholarship support today will beget someone else's scholarship support tomorrow."

Daphne B. Hammond Endowed Scholarship in Gerontology

Growing up, Daphne Hammond dreamed of studying drama in Europe. So that's what she did. "It was before World War II," Daphne said. "I lived in a boarding house run by a retired actress, and I studied at and graduated from the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. I spent two years there and was as happy as a clam. But then the war started, and I had to come home.

Once she was back stateside, Daphne was introduced to J. David Hammond Sr., a young medical student from Auburn, New York. David and Daphne married. After many years of medical practice in Auburn, David was named director of the Health Center at Ithaca College. When he retired in 1982, the facility was named in his honor.

Though the Hammonds left the College for other pursuits, they remained close to IC. Two of their three children, David Jr. and Rebecca, graduated from Ithaca, along with a granddaughter, Julia. Over the years, Daphne and David Sr. attended numerous campus events, many of them as guests of the president. At a dinner one evening Daphne found herself seated next to Gerontology Institute director John Krout. When the evening was over, Daphne had a new appreciation for the College's gerontology program and the students who wanted careers working with older adults.

In 2003 she established the Daphne B. Hammond Endowed Scholarship in Gerontology, which is awarded annually to an outstanding student majoring in aging studies. Intended to help students receive the financial support they need to complete their degrees, the Hammond scholarship was the first to be endowed in the newly created Division of Interdisciplinary and International Studies.

Daphne died in January 2008, but she remains a cherished member of the IC family.

David A. Lebow '83 and Betsey Ladd Lebow '84 Scholarship

David Lebow '83 and Betsey Ladd '84 had their first date on the day of David's graduation from Ithaca College. Casual friends, they agreed to meet downtown after Commencement. Apparently, expectations weren't high: the 16-year-old cousin who was helping David move tagged along.

"I thought it was going to be a quick trip to Plums, a nice bar on Aurora Street," David laughed. "But obviously, that's not how it ended." Before he left town, David told Betsey he'd call in a week, once he was settled in his new apartment in Hartford. "Instead, he called me four hours after he left Ithaca," Betsey said. "Neither of us was surprised."

The budding relationship was a long-distance one until Betsey graduated a year later. They found jobs in the same cities, first in Los Angeles and then Chicago, and they married in 1986.

"What happened with Betsey and me is indicative of our relationship with the College," David said. "For me, it was always a place to be with people you considered your family. For example, a group of us students lived at the student radio station. We would be there until 3:00 a.m. because that's where we wanted to be. We improved things to the point where our ratings beat every commercial station in Ithaca. That a group of kids could do that is something I'll remember all my life."

In 2005, the couple established the David A. Lebow '83 and Betsey Ladd Lebow '84 Scholarship, which is awarded annually to an outstanding student in the Park School who has shown evidence of potential contributions in the field of communications, a commitment to the campus community, and demonstrated financial need.

"After starting our scholarship, I met Laura Seivert '07, the first scholarship recipient," David said. "She is inspiring! Her entrepreneurial spirit, her drive to make IC work for her, her attitude, and the experience she gained at IC were motivational. If giving [scholarship money] can help more people like Laura, then we want to do more."

"Giving is a two-way street," he added. "As it helps others at IC, we get motivated by the connection to IC, the faculty, administration, and students. It creates a positive circle. The more we give, the more we like it. It continues to dawn on us, the responsibility we have to give back in life."

Elliot Mayrock '73 History Scholarship

A student of history and longtime benefactor of Ithaca College's history department, Elliot Mayrock established a scholarship that brings a promising history or social studies student to the College who might otherwise have gone elsewhere. "We live in a global world, unlike when I went to college," Elliot said. "The competitive environment is unlike anything American students have ever faced. They need to understand the fundamental changes going on throughout the world."

As vice president and treasurer of M. Fortunoff of Westbury Corp., a retailer of fine and antique jewelry and gifts, Elliot makes buying trips all over the globe. "My business travels have exposed me to many different cultures," he said. "Those experiences have a perfect partner in the background studies in history I received at Ithaca College. Scholarship and experience have made a great marriage."

Paul McBride, the professor of history who was Elliot's undergraduate mentor, was an especially great influence. "Paul McBride is a very bright, compassionate scholar who made himself available to me when I was a student," Elliot said. "The reason I came to Ithaca College was because it wasn't a huge university and the classroom sizes were manageable. Because of Paul and dedicated teachers like him, I received an excellent education at Ithaca College. He fostered a sympathy for the academic aspects of the College's mission that I have to this day."

Establishing a scholarship is one way Elliot has of passing on that commitment to learning. "Having gone to Ithaca at a time when the world was going through profound changes was very important to me," Elliot said. "The College provided stability for me at the same time it enabled me to change and grow. I would like to make sure deserving students are not denied that complex experience of security and reinvention."

Susan Scanlon '71 Endowed Scholarship

When Sue Scanlon came to Ithaca, she wanted to become an organist, a choir director, and a music educator. After graduating with honors, she soon accomplished all those goals. Then she decided it was time for something else and went on to earn an M.B.A. in finance and a law degree.

Sue specialized in corporate finance before becoming a general counsel and ultimately founding Corporate Legal Management, a legal consulting firm specializing in health care, telecommunications, and manufacturing. It sounds like she's come a long way from the School of Music, but her roots have always been there.

"The College has changed in many ways since my years as a music student, but one thing is still the same," Sue said. "That's the unique opportunity Ithaca provides its students to study and make music with top-caliber performers while at the same time drawing on courses across multiple disciplines for a broad and truly liberal education. During my years as a lawyer, I often commented that if I had my undergraduate experience to do over again, I'd do it in exactly the same way and in the same place -- overlooking the deep blue of Cayuga Lake."

Diane Frankle Storck '70 Scholarship

The Dillingham Center lobby is decorated with posters from Broadway shows in which Ithaca College theater graduates have performed. This exhibit is a tribute from Diane Frankle Storck to her late parents, Marvin and Herta Frankle, who deeply loved theater. "I made the gift to honor my parents' conviction that you always repay a blessing with a blessing," Diane said. "They believed in giving back, and they showed that by volunteering their time and donating money to various charities and organizations."

After graduating from IC, Diane began her career in Chicago at the local ABC affiliate. Six years later, she left to work on a weekly syndicated talk show. She next joined the local PBS station, producing talk shows and documentaries.

In the late 1980s, she launched Cigogne Enterprises, a marketing, consulting, and television production business. As time went by, she remembered her parents' feelings about giving back, and she reconnected with her alma mater. In 1993 she was elected to the College's alumni association board of directors, and two years later to the board of trustees.

"I was fortunate because my parents were able to pay for my education," Diane said. "But as I became involved with the College, I learned that over 80 percent of today's students need financial help. I knew that was something I wanted to address. I asked myself how I could help lessen the financial burden for deserving Ithaca College students."

The answer was to establish an endowed scholarship fund that assists a junior or senior facing an unexpected financial situation that jeopardizes his or her education at Ithaca.

"If there's anything I could say to the recipients of my scholarship -- or any IC scholarship," Diane said, "it's that I hope they will create their own legacy and return the favor to future deserving students."

Borg-Warner Scholarship

Headquartered in Ithaca, BorgWarner Morse TEC, a division of BorgWarner Inc., is among the world's leading suppliers of engine, transmission, and four-wheel drive systems. It is also a leader in giving back to the local community and encouraging its employees to do so.

According to Cal Organ, vice president for human resources, "The impetus to be involved in your local community is reinforced by BorgWarner. The company encourages us to be active in local nonprofit organizations. I've done that, and I've enjoyed it. Given that we work in the highly competitive environment of the auto industry, an employee wouldn't be able to take the time to serve outside organizations without support from the company."

Along with supporting employees' community service activities, BorgWarner also directly supports local organizations, including the Community Arts Partnership, the Hangar Theatre, the Cortland Sports Complex, the Finger Lakes Land Trust, Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca, Tompkins Cortland Community College, the State University of New York College at Cortland, five public library systems -- and Ithaca College. In 1985 the company established the Borg-Warner Scholarship in the School of Business to support an outstanding female or minority student wishing to enter corporate management.

"Ithaca College was a logical choice for us," said Cal. "It was nearby, it had a good business school, and we wanted to encourage students studying in that field, especially women and minorities. We had other options -- funding a lecture series was one -- but we were interested in doing something for talented students in need. Giving them a chance to succeed helps them, and it helps the business world. At BorgWarner, for example, we have several Ithaca College grads employed in various areas -- including human resources."

Syrena Shirley '05, a recipient of a Borg-Warner Scholarship, was inspired by the company's commitment to giving back. She plans to ask her employer for matching funds to establish a scholarship in the School of Business.

"At BorgWarner, we subscribe to five basic beliefs," Cal said. "One of them is responsibility to the communities in which we work. Sometimes we're paid back in terms of qualified new employees. Sometimes the payback comes by promoting that ideal of responsibility in others."