As George Klenovich prepared to graduate from George Washington High School in 1976, college didn’t appear to be in his future. A standout student, Klenovich was double promoted during elementary school. But Klenovich’s mother was concerned about him leaving home to attend college at such a young age.

“No one in my family had ever attended college, and my mother was strongly against me doing so,” Klenovich says. “She thought that some societal issues during that time could have a negative influence on me if I went away to college.”

Klenovich, 17 at the time, was too young for a job in the steel mills, the path for many young people growing up in southeast Chicago. His high school bookkeeping instructor, 1970 SIU management graduate Sam Panayotovich, saw potential for more in his understudy. So Panayotovich, who was also raised in the southeast side of Chicago, visited Klenovich’s family.

“George is very intelligent, and I saw a spark in him,” Panayotovich says. “George’s mother was concerned that he was too young for college. So I used myself as an example of someone from the neighborhood who flourished as a result of attending college. I convinced George’s mom that there were more opportunities out there for him.”

And Klenovich is forever grateful.

“Sam took an interest in his students. He is an exceptionally personable and charming guy who somehow persuaded my mom to reconsider,” Klenovich says. “Sam proceeded to contact SIU’s admissions office on my behalf.”

And now Panayotovich’s prized student, a CPA, is regional managing partner for CohnReznick, the 10th-largest accounting firm in the United States, with 28 offices and $575 million in revenue. Klenovich serves in this capacity for the firm’s South/Central Region, which includes offices in Chicago, Atlanta, Austin and Charlotte. He also serves on the firm’s 10-person executive board.

Klenovich has served public and private clients in multiple industries, often as the lead assurance and coordinator partner on large, privately held, private-equity-owned and public companies. Many of the companies are active on an international level.

Previously, Klenovich was Office Managing Partner and Director of the assurance practice for the St. Louis office of Ernst & Young. He focused on strategic growth for the Midwest region.

“CohnReznick fosters a culture of excellence and high performance. The key in professional service is attracting highly motivated, talented people. We strive to present them with challenges and opportunities for input,” Klenovich says. “Our firm is committed to fulfilling our strategy and value propositions. That goal can only be accomplished with the right people who are committed to the firm’s vision.”

Klenovich, who was inducted into the SIU College of Business Hall of Fame last spring, says the honor gave him an opportunity to reflect. In particular, he is appreciative of SIU accounting professors Phil Neal and Richard Rivers, who he says influenced him in their own distinctive ways. Klenovich says both challenged young people to be their best, and he, in turn, practices this method at CohnReznick.

Additionally, he says all professionals should seek opportunities to have an impact on the lives of others, like Panayotovich, Neal and Rivers did for him.

“Young people should always embrace mentorship as their careers are developing. And once you have a chance to return the favor, seize the moment because it’s one of the more rewarding elements in the circle of life,” he says. “Many of us are fortunate to have certain people take an interest in our lives and careers. It’s important to take time to reflect on those who made a positive impact in your life and, in turn, strive to make a favorable impact on others as they are in the development stage of their lives and careers.”

Klenovich and Panayotovich reconnected recently, and the latter admits to taking pride in his former student’s success.

“George was going to be successful no matter what. I’m happy that I was in a position to impact someone’s life,” Panayotovich says. “In addition, George is quite a family man. When we visited, he talked 15 minutes about his children. That says a lot about a man.”

When Norma Faust contemplated which university to pursue her doctorate degree in curriculum and instruction, SIU stood out among the rest. And she has never forgotten how faculty and staff made her feel welcome.

“SIU was very student-centered, honest and listened to me. I had completed many credit hours beyond my master’s degree. SIU wanted me to be a graduate of their program and therefore, would transfer in six hours, at most; that meant a lot to me,” she says. “I appreciated them being student- and program-centered. The University demonstrated its integrity in many ways.”

This continued when Norma, a 1992 Ph.D. graduate, enrolled at SIU. She points out that the University assisted her in all aspects of college life, including housing and programming, in addition to preparing her for future endeavors. It served to enhance her successful career as a school teacher and principal, culminating with her retirement in 2003.

Norma says: “My professors and final Ph.D. committee members were dedicated, knowledgeable, demanding and helpful as I achieved my goals.”

The Evansville, Ind., resident says this was the catalyst behind her decision to bequest funds to SIU through an agreement with the SIU Foundation. Norma and Ron, her husband of more than 46 years, devoted their careers to education. Both are supporting their respective alma maters in this fashion. A percentage of Norma’s estate funds will be donated to the Southern Illinois University Foundation.

Norma is striving to offer student and faculty program support through these funds. She encourages fellow alumni to follow suit.

“Including an alma mater in your will is as easy as writing a declarative sentence,” she says. “It is even better if you contact an SIU Foundation representative to communicate and designate how you would like to allocate the funds you’re leaving to the University. I would say to my fellow alumni: ‘You, too, may leave a legacy.’”

Norma’s devotion to the University has included returning to campus and staying in contact through the alumni magazine and staff.

“People at SIU have never forgotten me as an alumna,” she says. “The University continues to make me feel special and did so even before they knew I had included SIU in my will.

There are people at SIU that I can call on. I really appreciate what the University has done for me.”

After starring for the Saluki football team in the late 1960s, Carl Mauck ’69 embarked on a 13-year playing career with four teams in the National Football League. The SIU business management major then subsequently served more than 21 years as a NFL assistant coach.

Mauck’s exploits are well-documented in southern Illinois. The high school football field in his native McLeansboro is named in his honor, and last year he was honored as a member of SIU’s All-Century Football Team.

His contributions go beyond the football field, and he remains loyal to his roots.

“Southern Illinois is a wonderful place to grow up,” he says. “I have great memories of SIU. In addition to receiving a quality education, I’m still in touch with people that I met on campus. I couldn’t have asked for a better college experience.”

Mauck continues to pay it forward. He and his two younger brothers – George, a priest in Carlyle, Ill., and Walter ‘76, a dentist in Springboro, Ohio, have established a scholarship endowment in memory of their late parents. The Walter and Aurelia Mauck Scholarship will honor an SIU student from Hamilton County who maintains at least a 3.0 grade point average.

The Mauck brothers funded the scholarship through the sale of their parents’ farmland. Walter, Sr. was a World War II veteran and post office worker, while Aurelia served as an administrative school secretary for more than 20 years.

Mauck has made giving back to SIU a habit. He led efforts to establish a scholarship fund in memory of the late Saluki football player Billy Patrick to support student-athletes who need to return home due to hardship. Following his NFL coaching career, he came back to Southern as a volunteer tight ends coach under former Saluki coach Jerry Kill.

“I don’t know anyone with a bigger heart or more loyal than Carl Mauck. I know this through personal experience,” Kill says. “They will never make another Carl Mauck.”

The Saluki Hall-of-Famer continues his work with young people as a high school football coach in Texas. His Argyle Eagles advanced to the class 3A state championship last season.

“Carl has a heart of gold and loves Southern Illinois University,” says SIU Head Football Coach Dale Lennon. “He wants SIU to thrive and aspires to help others in the area become successful. When he does something, it is definitely genuine and there’s no other intention but to do good.”

Close friend Mike Reis ’78, SIU’s Hall of Fame broadcaster, agrees.

“SIU means the world to him, and gets mad when SIU fails – whether it’s from an academics or athletics standpoint,” Reis says. “Carl is not self-centered. If he can help SIU succeed, he just feels that it is what alumni are supposed to do.”

Reis says Mauck’s devotion to SIU and his hometown are further demonstrated through the establishment of this scholarship.

“It was important to Carl to reward a Hamilton County student who wanted to attend SIU, whether or not he or she is an athlete,” Reis says. “He hopes this creates SIU awareness among Hamilton County students, and that they will recruit others to enroll at the University.

“Carl will want to know about the winner, his or her family, and will probably follow and talk to them while attending SIU. He’ll want to know if he can be of any further assistance. He gets huge satisfaction from helping. We need so many more like him.”

If you are interested in establishing a scholarship endowment, please contact the Director of Development for Scholarships, Gary Bogue, at 618/453-4906 or garyb@foundation.siu.edu.

While dining at Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Marion, John Gunter is asked why he has generously supported his alma mater. He responds without hesitation.

“It is a matter of paying it back by paying it forward,” he says. “I received a solid education and strong foundation in forestry at Southern Illinois University. The university and its professors prepared me for graduate school, too.”

John, a 1966 SIU forestry alumnus, makes special mention of former professors Dwight McCurdy and Ronald Beazley for their guidance during his undergraduate years. After completing his master’s and doctorate degrees at Michigan State University, John proceeded on to a distinguished career in forestry, which culminated with serving as dean and professor at Mississippi State University, a post he retired from in 2002.

“Vic Rudolph was my major professor at Michigan State. After I received my doctorate, I asked him if I had the potential to be a dean,” John says. “He replied with the affirmative so that encouraged me to pursue a career in higher education administration.”

A McLeansboro native, John says his work in the industry has taken him to all 50 states. Prior to his stint at Mississippi State University, John taught, did extension work and conducted research at four additional institutions including Michigan State University, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, University of Georgia, where he headed the extension forestry program, and University of Arkansas at Monticello as Dean of Forestry. In addition, his contributions included working for private industry and the federal government at the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service.

John has authored or co-authored numerous forestry articles for journals and research publications, as well as three books. He is a fellow of the Society of American Foresters and has twice received Alumni Achievement awards from the College of Agricultural Sciences at SIU.

Some of his fondest memories of SIU include participation in a spring quarter field campus, through which he and classmates received their initial hands-on experience in forestry. He was also active in the student forestry club. John decided to retire in his native southern Illinois, in part because of farmland he owns in the region, and because he wanted to live close to the university.

The SIU alumnus also serves on the College of Agricultural Sciences Leadership Board and is a life member of the SIU Alumni Association.

Nearly five decades after graduating from SIU, John is endowing the John E. Gunter Scholarship Fund through the SIU Foundation. John has also made provisions in his estate plan for additional contributions to this endowment.

The John E. Gunter Scholarship is awarded to qualified forestry students who have attained at least junior academic standing and demonstrate financial need. Preference is given to students who have served as officers in specific registered student organizations.

“The permanency of this scholarship through an endowment option was particularly attractive. This investment will grow over time and support students for generations to come,” he says.

“There are no self-made people. We all had help along the way and owe something to society. There’s no better way to accomplish this than to assist young students in financing an education that will pave the way to their futures.”

A basketball scholarship brought a star athlete at Sparta High School, Harold Bardo, to Southern Illinois University in 1957. He understands first-hand the importance of financial assistance in higher education.

As he reflects on an association with SIU spanning more than 50 years, Bardo says this scholarship paved the way for him.

“I was fortunate because my parents couldn’t have afforded to pay my tuition,” he says. “Many young people are in that situation today. They are unable to attend college without some kind of assistance or aid. It is sorely needed.”

And now students are afforded an opportunity to receive support through a scholarship named in honor of Bardo, who retired as longtime Director of SIU’s Medical/Dental Education Preparatory (MEDPREP) program in May.

The School of Medicine will award a $10,000 scholarship annually in Bardo’s honor. The award will be presented to a graduate of MEDPREP, a program which strives to provide support to qualified students who are members of underrepresented populations pursuing careers in the health profession. The recipient must also be a graduating senior in the School of Medicine.

Kevin Dorsey, dean of the School of Medicine, established the scholarship because he says MEDPREP graduates often hail from families of lower income, and they absorb additional debt in the process of earning their baccalaureate degree, and subsequently attending medical school. This scholarship will assist recipients by offsetting their debt. He hopes to create an endowment that will foster additional support.

Additionally, Dorsey says it is an appropriate way to honor Bardo, who has a passion for students.

“Harold really cares about these young people and often speaks of their success stories,” Dorsey says. “Under his leadership, close to 1,000 students have graduated from MEDPREP. Harold’s impact can be measured via the multiplier effect when you consider that these graduates proceed to take care of underserved populations. It indicates how Harold has been an enabling force for this institution.”

Bardo, who holds three degrees from SIU, says he appreciates Dorsey and the School of Medicine recognizing him in this fashion. “This is quite an honor. It is gratifying that the dean established an award in my honor that will help our students. I’m sincerely appreciative and plan on contributing to this scholarship fund as well.”

If you would like to contribute to the scholarship named in honor of Dr. Harold Bardo, please call Director of Development Pat Moline at 618/453-4900.

Bequests totaling more than $1 million will enhance student scholarship, teaching and research opportunities in two Southern Illinois University Carbondale departments.

Lowell and Janet Anderson, of Morristown, N.J., left $700,000 to the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry. The couple died just weeks apart in late 2012. Lowell Anderson, a native of Burnt Prairie, Ill., in White County, earned a bachelor’s degree from SIU Carbondale in 1956.

Cornelia “Connie” Wilber, of Westfield, N.J., also passed away in 2012, leaving $366,300 to the Department of Educational Psychology and Special Education. She earned a doctorate with a major in education in 1977 from the university.

The chemistry and biochemistry department is developing a five-year plan for use of the funds. Gary Kinsel, professor and chair, said he expects some funds will support a small number of large scholarships for academically high-performing students majoring in chemistry. The gift also will support a number of smaller annual undergraduate scholarships, and a “modest amount” will support a number of summer research scholarship awards to graduate students in the program.

“This type of alumni support is absolutely critical to the success of our program,” Kinsel said.

Todd Headrick, professor and chair of educational psychology and special education, said the Wilber gift will benefit the three programs in the department: special education, counselor education, and educational measurement and statistics. Special education is the only program area that offers an undergraduate degree program in the department.

He said funds will go toward technology updates needed for teaching and scholarly work; accreditation expenses; licenses for software updates; and helping with the costs of faculty and graduate students participating in professional development.

Marsha and Gary Bertrand were raised in a modest, small Illinois farming community of 1,400 people. Today, the Austin, Texas, couple is committed to supporting young people in similar circumstances through gifts to their alma maters.

“Education has been essential in our lives. Neither one of us could have accomplished our career goals without it,” Marsha says.

Marsha, who graduated in 1970 from SIU with an associate’s degree in business, is a freelance writer with expertise in investment, finance, and business-related topics. Her work has been published in a variety of newspapers and magazines, and she is the author of four books: “The Consumer Guide to the Stock Market,” “Getting Started in Investment Clubs,” “A Woman’s Guide to Savvy Investing” and “Fraud! How to Protect Yourself from Schemes, Scams, and Swindles.”

While Marsha was in Carbondale, Gary was in the Air Force stationed in South Carolina serving our country. He enrolled at the University of South Carolina, completing courses at night toward his accounting degree. After college, Gary was in banking for 10 years, and subsequently purchased a Chicago-based company that specialized in glued magazine inserts for publications such as Time, Newsweek, and Readers Digest. He sold his company in 1994.

The couple is striving to make their respective alma maters beneficiaries of their good fortune. The Bertrands recently presented SIU with $1 million to establish the Bertrand Foundation Scholarship Endowment. Awards will be presented after the endowment generates earnings (they are doing the same for University of South Carolina) and they have made provisions to support SIU through a deferred estate gift.

“Our scholarships are earmarked for middle-income families, which is the environment we grew up in,” Gary says. “Several scholarship programs are in place to support low-income families. And those with high income don’t require such support. Marsha and I have been fortunate to enjoy success through our careers and various investments. We don’t have any children, so we decided it was best to provide scholarship support for our schools.”

The Bertrands, high school sweethearts who will celebrate 44 years of marriage in October, say education set the tone for their success.

“I had never been away from home. SIU broadened my perspective in addition to fostering independence and maturity. I became a different person,” says Marsha, who subsequently earned an M.B.A. at Lake Forest School of Management in 1982. “I made lifelong friends and we keep in touch. Four of us meet annually. It is special to have friends like that, and I owe it to SIU.”

Gary says his college experience had a similar impact on him.

“The military was an eye-opener for me, and education was the difference,” he says. “I realized the need for a degree and it was made possible through the G.I. Bill. I wouldn’t have been able to afford it otherwise. We want to pass that opportunity on to others.”

Marsha expressed pride in her alma mater after a recent visit. “Our enhanced library is beautiful and I didn’t even recognize the Student Center,” she says. “It is great to see my school progressing in this fashion.”

For more information on how to establish an endowment through the SIU Foundation, visit www.siuf.org. Also, for details regarding deferred gift options, visit our new gift planning website at: www.siufgiving.org, or e-mail: giftplanning@siuf.org.

Dorothy J. (D.J.) Ramp’s family knows first-hand how much she values higher education. She and her late husband, Wayne, were staunch supporters of their children and grandchildren as they pursued advanced degrees.

So on Valentine’s Day in February, family members knew exactly how to pay homage to Dorothy. Her family pooled their resources together to establish the Dorothy J. Ramp Endowed Scholarship for School Counseling through the SIU Foundation to reward SIU students pursuing careers in this field of study.

Dorothy, who received a master’s in Counseling from SIU in 1959, served as an academic advisor at the University and is a former elementary education teacher.

“I was trying to figure out a way to financially support students pursuing a master’s in School Counseling. But before I got it figured out, my family established this scholarship in my name on Valentine’s Day – it was a total surprise,” Dorothy says. “I know this award will be presented to a worthy SIU counseling student and I am thrilled to support that mission.”

Dorothy, 90, says her devotion to education dates back to her upbringing. She benefited from a supportive environment and aspired to provide the same to her children and grandchildren, in addition to SIU students she encountered.

“Many children need counseling at a young age. I want them to have well-trained professionals helping them,” she says. “Young people endure bullying and other challenges in today’s world. Therefore, I believe supporting counselor education is important because good counselors in the schools can affect children and their families for years to come.”

Dorothy’s daughter, Susan (Ramp) Ridout, a professor at Indiana University Southeast in New Albany, Ind., sees her mom on a daily basis. She says family members were aware of her mother’s desire to financially support SIU’s Counseling students. Susan says she and her brothers, their spouses, and Dorothy’s grandchildren contributed funds to establish the endowment.

The family ordered a cake with writing indicating the name of the endowment, and presented a certificate to their mother/grandmother as their Valentine’s Day surprise.

“Mom was touched. We couldn’t have done anything better,” she says. “All of us are going to continue honoring her at different points by making additional gifts to the endowment. And now that the scholarship is established, Mom has made contributions, as well.”

Susan refers to her parents as “great proponents of education.” She and her brothers, Stephen and David, each have advanced degrees, and all of the grandchildren have followed suit by attending college and completing requirements for bachelor’s degrees. Some of the grandchildren have advanced degrees, as well.

“Mom and Dad were instrumental in each of us realizing the importance of education. They also believed in reaching out and supporting others in some fashion. Scholarships honor what young people are accomplishing,” Susan says. “We’re all thrilled that this has come to fruition and look forward to seeing which deserving student receives the award this spring.”

Susan says her father, Wayne Ramp, who taught Vocational Education for 25 years at SIU, was always appreciative of an endowed scholarship that his students established in his name. It was a retirement gift to Wayne. The family and former students have continued contributing to the scholarship for more than 3 decades, realizing how essential it is to help others as they pursue a college education.

Dorothy says she and Wayne have always been proud of their children and grandchildren for taking education seriously.

“My husband and I always believed in the power of higher education and helped support our kids and grandkids as they attended college. Our family understands the importance of attaining a quality education,” she says. “Now, I am thrilled that my children and grandchildren have started supporting two scholarships through the SIU Foundation. It is great when, upon special occasions, I open a letter that says a contribution has been made to the SIU Foundation to support school counselors.”

If you would like to give the gift of an endowed scholarship to honor someone special to you, contact the SIU Foundation at (618) 453-4906.