I love giving. Love it!

I have seen the the simple act of giving completely transform lives. My education is a direct result of GIFTS.

Purdue University
* My beloved university where I received my bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering (BSME) was founded through gifts.
* In 1862, President Lincoln signed the Morrill Land Grant Act that would give public owned land to any state that would use the land or proceeds from the sale of that land to found a college teaching agriculture and engineering.
* In 1869, Indiana signed on and accepted GIFT from John Purdue ($150,000 - in 1869! At 4% annual inflation, that equates to a gift of $38,614,733!). They also accepted a GIFT of $50,000 from Tippecanoe County (where Purdue is located) and 100 acres from local residents.

Clemson University
* The university where I received my masters degree in Business Administration (MBA) was founded through the same Morrill Land Grant Act!
* In Thomas Green Clemson's will, he bequeathed the Fort Hill plantation and a considerable sum from his personal assets for the establishment of an educational institution of the kind he envisioned.

Giving made my education a possibility. John Purdue, the residents of Tippecanoe County, and the local residents who donated land all made Purdue a possibility. Thomas Green Clemson made Clemson a possibility. Although the residents of Tippecanoe County who donated tax dollars and land are not mentioned, they are just as much a part of it as John Purdue and Thomas Clemson.

Key Lesson: GIVING allows me to make a difference in future generations.

Sources
* Purdue University web site
* Clemson University web site