Alumni leader continues giving back – this time, along Georgia’s coast

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Ruth Bartlett (BBA ’76) hasn’t always been the Lowcountry mainstay she is now. Originally from Atlanta, the former University of Georgia Alumni Association president retired to Hilton Head Island full-time in 2015 and made the bucolic beach town her new homebase.  

However, it wasn’t until University of Georgia Public Service and Outreach began alumni outreach in the Savannah area­–a mere 30 miles away­–that Ruth first learned about the UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant program on Skidaway Island, a program that would eventually become an integral part of her philanthropy.  

Ever since retiring to the coast, Ruth says she has had more time to delve into interests beyond her career. An accountant by trade, Ruth found herself interested in marine sciences and ecology–the sort of interests that perhaps come naturally to those who live in the Lowcountry, the region stretching across the coastal plains of South Carolina and Georgia.  

UGA Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant has a mission to improve the environmental, social and economic health of the Georgia coast through research, education and extension. Ruth’s newfound interests and her connection to UGA combined in Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant, and she quickly became an advocate for the project.

Ruth Bartlett listens as Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant stormwater specialist, Jessica Brown, explains UGA’s coastal work. Photo: Trey Cooper

Ruth is no stranger to fostering community and making connections with those who have similar interests as her. After years serving on the Terry College of Business Alumni Board and recruiting recent UGA accounting graduates to her accounting firm, she became UGA Alumni Association president in 2015. In the wake of this, Ruth created the Hilton Head alumni chapter as a way to connect her new beachside present with her Bulldog past.  

“I really feel like I got an exposure to the entire university with my Alumni Association president,” she says. “I’ve done a lot of volunteer work with nonprofits by serving on various boards and such, but serving as the President of the UGA Alumni Association was by far the best experience I’ve had in my volunteer work. The connection with UGA’s outstanding students and knowing I was helping shape their lives was the best.” 

The Hilton Head alumni chapter has grown quite a bit in the years since, hosting a variety of events like local fundraisers, game-watching parties and speaker series, as well as bringing Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant programming to Hilton Head. 

With the PSO marine extension so close to her heart, it is no wonder that Ruth wanted to assist with their latest project–a renovation and expansion of their aquarium stationed on Skidaway Island. With a generous commitment of $150,000, Ruth wanted to help revamp the aquarium’s significant programming for school-age children in the Lowcountry.  

Lisa Gentit, Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant marine resource specialist, shows Ruth a marine critter aboard the trawl. Photo: Trey Cooper

“The idea was for my contribution to fund the addition of a live oak tree house replica inside the aquarium to serve as a sort of ‘learning tree’ for children’s programming,” Ruth describes.  

It is her hope that her involvement will help get others interested in giving to the project and get alumni more involved with UGA outside of Athens. Along with her gift to the renovation efforts, Ruth also takes part in multiple events throughout the year that benefit and raise awareness for Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant’s programs; from fishing trawls and horseshoe crab encounters to the annual Oyster Roast for a Reason at the aquarium, Ruth believes events like these can be a way for the university to get initial contact with alumni and communicate both the breadth of UGA projects across the state and how giving back can enhance those projects. 

 Plus, the university knows how to connect with alumni. Ruth explains, “By attending an alumni vent, you’ll meet someone new or learn something new about the university and they’ll have a good time while doing it.” 

For recent alumni or those who are interested in getting involved, Ruth has some advice. “Get involved locally; go to a game-watching party, a Women of UGA luncheon or educational program,” she advises, “Or anything else that your local chapter is doing to get you reacquainted with UGA where you live.” 

Ruth enjoys a view from the bridge of the Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant fishing trawl. Photo: Trey Cooper

With over 350,000 alumni in the United States alone and 90+ chapters across the United States and abroad, the university prioritizes alumni involvement and strives to meet them where they are. “Alumni will no doubt be able to find something that the university is doing that will pique their interest,” she says.  

Engaging alumni and serving communities in ways that are distinctive to their interests and needs is part of the reason why Ruth’s journey with the university is extending far beyond her days in Athens.  

Find your local alumni chapter

Three sisters united by a love of music

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Barbara Bennett (BMUS ’74, MFA ’76), Sally Bennett Fillebrown (BM ’71, DMA ’89) and Susan Bennett Gallimore (BMUS ’83, MM ’85) may live across the country, but their mutual love of music keeps the three sisters in perfect harmony.  

Barbara, Sally, Susan, and their late sister Carolyn (BMUS ’79) all graduated from the University of Georgia with degrees in music performance, just a few years apart. Together, the Bennett women have earned eight total music degrees from UGA. 

When they were searching for colleges, the sisters hoped to stay in their home state of Georgia to pursue a music education. The Hugh Hodgson School of Music, then just a single department, was considered the best college music program in the state. Sally, the eldest, was the first of the sisters to attend UGA. The rest soon followed suit. 

Their mother, Betty Bennett (MFA ’74), encouraged them to attend UGA because she studied music there as well. She was a part-time flute teacher for the department and impressed upon her daughters an appreciation for UGA and music performance. 

Sally said that one of the faculty members, Professor Egbert Ennulat, jokingly called the Bennett women “the dynasty” because for 20 consecutive years, at least one Bennett woman was involved in the Hodgson School as either a teacher or student. 

(From left) Carolyn, Barbara, Sally, Betty and Susan pose after performing at a concert at the University of California, Riverside in 1998. (Photo: Steve Walag)

Because they all majored in music performance, the sisters had the unique opportunity of navigating their time at UGA as a family. During the times that more than one of the sisters was at UGA, they would be roommates. Barbara said that living together during college helped bring them closer together. 

“When we got to Georgia, we became best friends,” Barbara said. 

The Bennett sisters’ long history with the Hugh Hodgson School of Music means that they’ve watched it grow from a fledgling program to its own school, rich with opportunities for students and faculty.  

“We contributed at least to the beginnings of that,” Sally said of the school’s growth. “It’s an honor to say I was there.” 

Barbara said that the music program’s small community felt like a second family. Because it didn’t have a dedicated building yet, music students would gather in buildings across campus to practice and perform.  

Sally said that performing in ensembles with other music students helped contribute to the school’s supportive, tight-knit environment. 

“It’s kind of the nature of musicians to build a family,” she said, remembering her close friendships with fellow music students. 

Inspired by their family’s connections to the Hodgson School, the sisters donated to establish a merit-based scholarship called the Bennett Family Scholarship for Orchestral Performance.  

Barbara led the sisters’ efforts to create the scholarship. She said that although their father wasn’t a professional musician like their mother, he was extremely supportive of the sisters’ music education and was at every one of their concerts he could manage to attend. Barbara chose to name the scholarship after the whole family rather than just the Bennett women so that he would also be recognized in their gift. 

They had the opportunity to meet one of their scholarship recipients on a video call and were delighted to see that their gift had made an impact on a student. 

“I’m proud to have Georgia in my background,” Barbara said. “I’m glad to be able to give back to the university.” 

GIVE TO THE HUGH HODGSON SCHOOL OF MUSIC

UGA alumni business adds to the legacy of a Georgia Center tradition

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This story written by Kensie Poor was originally published on Public Service & Outreach News on July 10, 2023.

A swirl of red and white atop a coconut crust, the iconic strawberry ice cream pie at the University of Georgia Center for Continuing Education & Hotel has been a highlight of the menu since the 1960s. Adding to the legacy, an alumni business, Rock House Creamery, is now the supplier of the famous strawberry ripple ice cream central to the pie.

“I can’t begin to explain just how important this dessert is to so many people across the state of Georgia,” said Darrell Goodman, director of Food and Beverage at the Georgia Center.

The Georgia County Clerks Association (GCCA) has been holding its annual conference at the Georgia Center for over 40 years—and strawberry ice cream pie is always on the menu.

Rock House Creamery makes their homemade ice cream fresh using A2A2 grass-fed milk. (Submitted photo: Rock House Creamery)

“Every clerk looks forward to the famous strawberry pie when we are in Athens,” said GCCA President Amanda Hannah. “I have new clerks ask me if we are going to have the famous strawberry ice cream pie at the conference.”

The iconic dessert was created through swift problem-solving when an ordering mishap left the kitchen staff from the Savannah Room with 600 pounds of coconut instead of the required 60-pound quantity. The chefs found a recipe for a macaroon crust, topped it with strawberry swirl ice cream from the UGA Creamery and finished it with a meringue. Retired Savannah Room baker Luetrell Sims perfected the dessert and her influence remains in the double knife method she devised to slice the thick frozen dessert.

This year, the Georgia Center was tasked with finding a new source for the strawberry ripple ice cream when Greenwood Creamery in Atlanta closed. Greenwood had been the supplier since the UGA Creamery stopped ice cream production. When UGA actively sought a new ice cream partner, we found one right in our backyard.

The Georgia Center partnered with Rock House Creamery, a family-owned and operated business with strong ties to UGA.

The Jersey-Holstein herd at Rock House Creamery spends their time eating, resting and socializing. (Submitted photo: Rock House Creamery)

Keith Kelly, owner and operator of the Rock House Farm & Creamery, is a University of Georgia College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences alumnus and University of Georgia Foundation trustee. Keith’s wife, Pam, their son Brad, and Brad’s wife, Larkin, are all UGA alumni.

“We were excited by the opportunity to be a part of such a cool tradition and dessert for UGA,” said Brad Kelly, Rock House vice president of operations.

Rock House Farm was established in Leesburg, Georgia, in 2005 and the creamery opened in 2016 on a 1940s family dairy farm in Newborn. Today, they specialize in grass-fed beef, pork, and artisan dairy products such as creamline ice creams, old-fashioned creamline milks, and hand-crafted cheeses.

Keith Kelly walks with his grandchildren on the Rock House Creamery family farm. (Submitted photo: Rock House Creamery)

Working with UGA’s Small Business Development Center (SBDC) over the years, the Kellys received support and resources from the center to help them with business planning, financial modeling, and benefited greatly from their expertise and assistance in rolling out their partnership with Farmview Market in Madison, Georgia.

“Local small businesses like us are good with what we know, but the Small Business Development Center at UGA really helps with filling in the knowledge gaps,” said Laura Rotroff, Brad’s sister and vice president of Marketing and Communications for parent company Kelly Products.

Both the UGA SBDC and the Georgia Center are units of UGA Public Service and Outreach.

“It’s rewarding to be able to utilize opportunities like this, to be nimble and partner with UGA in our community,” said Rotroff. “After all, the community is the lifeblood of small businesses.”

Kelly Cramer, a baker with the Georgia Center for Continuing Education adds ice cream to a meringue coconut crust to make Strawberry Ice Cream Pie. (Photo by: Peter Frey)

The continued partnership with UGA is a win all around.

“The strawberry ice cream pie is more than just a delicious dessert. It’s a symbol of the Georgia Center and UGA,” said Georgia Center Executive Chef Rob Harrison. “Rock House Creamery’s focus on using fresh, locally sourced ingredients aligns perfectly with our values, and the partnership between the two entities is a testament to the power of collaboration and community.”

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE GEORGIA CENTER

Rhodes to Success

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Stories like Natalie Navarrete’s would not be possible without the generous support of donors. The Foundation Fellowship—and the role it played in Natalie’s journey—is just one example of how private giving sets students on a path to prosper.

This story, written by Erica Techo, was originally published on UGA Today on July 20, 2023.

Natalie Navarrete didn’t know Russian when she came to the University of Georgia. Now, she has studied it around the globe.

Natalie Navarette stands on top of Baiterek in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This is a symbol of Kazakhstan’s independence and Kazakhstan’s first president placed his hand on that podium which now has his handprint. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Navarette)

Natalie Navarette stands on top of Baiterek in Almaty, Kazakhstan. This is a symbol of Kazakhstan’s independence and Kazakhstan’s first president placed his hand on that podium which now has his handprint. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Navarette)

Navarrete graduated in spring 2023 with several new stamps in her passport, as well as bachelor’s degrees in international affairs, Russian and Spanish, and a minor in Latin American and Caribbean studies. She capped off her academic career at UGA as a 2023 Rhodes Scholar, receiving the oldest and most celebrated international fellowship in the world. She was one of only three public university students, in addition to the nation’s service academies, to receive the honor this year.

“Coming to UGA and learning Russian without knowing a single letter in the alphabet was incredibly difficult, but also very rewarding,” said Navarrete, who studied in the university’s Russian Flagship Program, a federally funded languages initiative housed in the Franklin College of Arts and Sciences. “Going from absolute zero to now having a business proficiency has been a really interesting and honestly exciting experience.”

And Navarrete was up to the academic challenge.

She received the Foundation Fellowship, the university’s top academic scholarship which has supported students for the last 50 years. The fellowship is available through the Jere W. Morehead Honors College and provides travel stipends, grants for research and conferences and additional funding. She is also a Stamps Scholar, a prestigious distinction only given to five Foundation Fellows each year.

“I can’t say enough good things about the Foundation Fellowship and the support that UGA provides its students in general,” Navarrete said. “I’ve learned so much by being around amazing, curious and passionate people all the time. It also helped make UGA a lot smaller and less intimidating in its first year. The Foundation Fellowship provides support for its students in a way that stands out from other universities.”

The fellowship helped Navarrete build a community, and other campus groups continued to strengthen it.

“For Natalie to accomplish so much in her four years at UGA is a testament to both her incredible drive for learning and the strength of our university’s academic programs,” said Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College. “From her immersion in the Russian Flagship Program to her engagement in the Foundation Fellowship, she has been an incredible example of UGA as an academic powerhouse. We are so proud of her.”

In the spring semester of her freshman year, Navarrete joined the Richard B. Russell Security Leadership Program and solidified her academic path forward.

“It was in the Security Leadership Program that I started learning about nuclear policy and nuclear strategy within the field of international affairs,” Navarrete said. “I did my first research connecting how Russian investments in media and education influence the way Latin American countries vote on security issues in the United Nations Security Council. From there, everything sort of snowballed.”

Natalie Navarette and her classmates stand in front of the grand mosque in Astana, Kazakhstan, which is the biggest mosque in Central Asia and one of the biggest in the world. She stands with Sydney Drake (UGA) and Molly Burhans (IU), who were also students in the Russian Flagship program. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Navarette).

Natalie Navarette and her classmates stand in front of the grand mosque in Astana, Kazakhstan, which is the biggest mosque in Central Asia and one of the biggest in the world. She stands with Sydney Drake (UGA) and Molly Burhans (IU), who were also students in the Russian Flagship program. (Photo courtesy of Natalie Navarette).

She seized the chance to study abroad. She improved her language proficiency, built a strong professional network and explored additional research opportunities.

“I don’t know how it all worked out, but my study away experiences perfectly built on each other,” Navarrete said.

These experiences started close to home, with opportunities in Athens and on campus, but they soon expanded worldwide.

From Middlebury, Vermont, and Honolulu, Hawaii, to Oxford, U.K., and Cortona, Italy, it all culminated in a yearlong study abroad in Altmaty, Kazakhstan. There were some disruptions due to the COVID pandemic—moving a program to Honolulu instead of Latvia, for example—but the strength of UGA’s Russian Flagship Program eased those transitions.

“Our flagship was extremely creative and managed to come up with lots of solutions,” she said. “I got to study Russian in Hawaii with two of the best Russian professors in the world, who have written dozens of textbooks on learning Russian. It was an incredible experience. And we were all very excited to go to the beach.”

The Russian Flagship Program also connected her to other students passionate about immersing themselves in a language. Daily language classes and intensive study provided their challenges, but on-campus resources offered encouragement.

All flagship students receive a one-on-one tutor and participate in intensive summer programs that help develop fluency. In September 2022, Navarrete had her capstone year at Al-Farabi Kazakh National University in Kazakstan, a program that included eight-hour days of Russian language and studies, but also opportunities to explore her interests on a new level.

Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College, and Rhodes Scholar Natalie Navarrete talk outside of Moore College. (Photo by Peter Frey/ UGA).

Meg Amstutz, dean of the Morehead Honors College, and Rhodes Scholar Natalie Navarrete talk outside of Moore College. (Photo by Peter Frey/ UGA).

“I took a course on the history of Central Asian Identity and Kazakh identity, and then I was able to apply that during a spring internship,” Navarrete said. “I worked with Altair Academy, a children’s literature group that promotes children’s literacy and reading in Kazakhstan. It was interesting to see how the Kazakh identity was manifested in children’s fairy tales.”

After her year abroad, Navarrete will enjoy a few weeks back in the United States before traveling to South Korea for a five-week conference. There, she will continue her research in nuclear nonproliferation before beginning her master’s program at the University of Oxford.

But first, she made a quick return to campus.

Navarrete lived in a residence hall for three of her four years as a student, even though she spent a large amount of time away from Athens. But any return to campus, she said, serves as a reminder of the university’s dedication to its students.

“You can tell in the way that campus is laid out and the programs that are available that UGA is here to support your everyday life. It really cares about its students,” she said. “And then it goes even further when you see the effort that professors put in to get students interested in different opportunities, to explore their interests and to make the most of their time here.”

Support UGA students

 

Family connection to UGA inspires commitment to giving and service

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Charlene Johnson Benn (BS ’85) had a connection to the University of Georgia before she could even walk. She was named after Charlayne Hunter-Gault (ABJ ’63), who was an award-winning journalist, foreign correspondent, civil rights activist and one of the two first Black students to attend UGA. Benn has big shoes to fill, and she takes honoring her namesake’s legacy very seriously.

Charlene’s family bleeds red and black–she, two of her siblings, her goddaughter and her children attended UGA. Their family’s journey at UGA began when her older sister, Dianne East (BBA ’83, MACC ’86), made the decision to enroll.

Dianne and Charlene babysat as teenagers for a neighborhood family who was deeply connected to UGA, and the family encouraged them to apply. Although neither of the sisters’ parents had graduated from high school, they had encouraged their children to prioritize their education. Dianne enrolled first, next was their brother, Albert Johnson Jr. (AB ’82), then Charlene.

“It was a no-brainer by then,” Charlene said of her decision to attend UGA. It was the only college she applied to.

Charlene and Charlayne Hunter-Gault pose for a photo

Charlene and Charlayne pose for a photo in the UGA Chapel.

The start of a family legacy

The three supported one another during their time at UGA, all sharing one car on campus and meeting up frequently for football games and other activities. When the Georgia Bulldogs won the college football national championship in 1980, Charlene and Dianne were cheering on their brother as he played in the Redcoat Band. After Dianne joined Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., Zeta Psi Chapter, Charlene joined the sorority as well, an experience she said helped bring her out of her shell and make the most of her college experience.

As a student, Charlene devoted herself to uplifting UGA’s Black community. She served as president of Delta Sigma Theta as well as being involved in Pamoja Singers and the Committee for Black Cultural Programs.

Charlene has continued her service to the university as an alumnus through her giving efforts and membership on the UGA Alumni Association Board of Directors. She has had the opportunity to meet her namesake, Charlayne Hunter-Gault, a few times, an experience which deepened her emotional connection to UGA even further.

She served on the Black Alumni Leadership Council, focusing on ensuring that all alumni feel a sense of ownership and passion for continuing the legacy of Charlayne Hunter-Gault and Hamilton Holmes through their giving and their support of diversity and inclusion.

Continuing the legacy

When it was time for her children and goddaughter to apply to college, Charlene strongly urged them to attend UGA because of her own experience. Both of her daughters and her goddaughter chose to attend and remember being impressed by Charlene’s love and commitment for the university years after her graduation.

Charlene and her sister were overjoyed that her children had chosen UGA because it continued their family’s legacy and deepened their own connections to the university. She showed her daughters around campus during their orientation, pointing out places that were important to her along the way—places at which her daughters would go on to make their own memories.

Peyton Fraser (BS ’14, BSED ’14), Charlene’s youngest daughter, said that coming to UGA “felt like a sense of home.”

“Our family legacy made our experience unique,” she said.

Charlene's daughters pose in the stands at a UGA football game

Charlene’s daughters, Taylor and Peyton, pose in the stands at a UGA football game.

The impact of giving

Charlene’s family ties to the university have inspired her to give back. Both she and her sister received scholarships to attend UGA and are very grateful for the contributions that helped make their time at UGA possible. The two created a need-based scholarship in 2020 in support of minority students. The scholarship, called the Albert and Naomi Johnson Scholarship, is named in honor of their parents and empowers students who otherwise may not have been able to attend college.

“We wanted to make a path for anyone who really wants to get an education,” Charlene said. “Small scholarship funds made all the difference for us.”

Charlene credits UGA with her professional success. She got her first job after graduating from UGA at SunTrust (now Truist) after meeting her boss, a fellow Bulldog, at a UGA job fair. The job launched her lifelong career in information technology and financial services. She currently works as senior director of operations and technology strategy at Fiserv, a financial technology company.

“I will tell anyone that my attendance at the University of Georgia has made all the difference in my life,” she said.

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Delia Owens creates ecology fellowship at University of Georgia

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Delia Owens, author of “Where the Crawdads Sing,” recently made a $50,000 commitment to the University of Georgia to establish the Delia Owens Fellowship in Ecology.

For Owens, creating support for graduate students—specifically, doctoral students in Ecology or Integrative Conservation and Ecology in UGA’s Odum School of Ecology—is something that hits close to home.

“I remember what it’s like to be a graduate student,” said Owens, who received a bachelor’s of science in zoology from UGA in 1971. “I had been working for seven years, doing research for zero salary, when I decided to go to graduate school. I was basically broke, wondering how I was going to pay for it, when someone came along with a scholarship, and I’ve never forgotten that. So, I thought ‘well, I can do the same thing for other people.’”

The Thomasville native’s $50,000 pledge will be matched by the UGA Foundation to establish a $100,000 fund that will create the Odum School’s first doctoral student scholarship. Initially, the scholarship will prioritize summer stipends for Ph.D. students, who often go without support while performing field work in remote locations during the summer months, or for the development of research projects separate from those funded by students’ faculty mentors.

“I thank Dr. Owens for her generosity and express my gratitude to the UGA Foundation for their ongoing support of student scholars,” said Sonia Altizer, interim dean of the Odum School. “Scholarships like this one are crucial for recruiting and retaining outstanding, diverse graduate students to the Odum School, to produce the next generation of leaders in the field of ecology.”

The idea to create a fellowship came after UGA Libraries proposed that Owens donate her papers—manuscripts, records, field notes, research papers, and more—to the university’s Special Collections Libraries.

“I was so honored by that,” said Owens. “Just a couple of months into the publication of ‘Crawdads,’ they asked me to donate my archives. It’s something I hadn’t even thought about, but now it’s wonderful to know that my notes and so forth will be preserved.”

With her archives secured in a place where they could be of use to generations of students, it didn’t take long for Owens to consider other ways she could help UGA students. Owens chose ecology as her fund’s focus not just because it’s been at the center of her career—she co-wrote three non-fiction natural history books before “Where the Crawdads Sing”—but because she feels supporting the study of ecology is of the utmost importance.

Doctoral students from the Odum School of Ecology observe the landscape of Sapelo Island, Georgia, as part of an ecology course in 2022.

Doctoral students from the Odum School of Ecology observe the landscape of Sapelo Island, Georgia, as part of an ecology course in 2022.

“Ecology has always been important, but right now it’s critical,” said Owens. “We’re down at our own one-yard line. We’re not where we want to be right now with Earth. So, we have to do everything we can to keep our first-string in there, and hopefully this fellowship helps us do that.”

Owens becoming a graduate student may have seemed unlikely before she went to UGA—“In high school, my friends never thought of me as a good student”—but she credits a liberating experience in Athens for opening a world of possibilities to her.

“Just opening the catalog and seeing all the courses I could take was eye-opening,” said Owens. “I knew I loved nature, but I had never seen all the details of how I could explore that. And I had a great professor, Dr. Murray Blum, who made me realize how connected all the different sciences are. It felt like he really brought me into the field of science more than just teaching me as a student.”

That feeling is one she hopes her fellowship can help students experience: realizing that they can be a valuable part of the scientific community, even as a student.

“That was an important part of the process,” said Owens. “A lot of people fail when they perceive this huge line between student and scientist. But if you have the right help, you realize ‘I can do this,’ and you can start passing that line early on in your career.”

Owens currently lives in North Carolina, where she is working on her next novel, a story of mystery, romance and nature that weaves an ecological message into the narrative.

More information on UGA Graduate School scholarship and fellowship opportunities can be found at grad.uga.edu/funding.

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A vision of service—in the service of vision

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This story was written by Charles McNair.

Dr. Jack Schaeffer (BBA ’72) first visited the University of Georgia on a football weekend.

“I always thought I’d go to Tulane,” he recalled. “But the experience at a Georgia-Vanderbilt game and that whole weekend changed me. In my mind, I’ve never left Athens, Georgia, since. UGA is the greatest thing that ever happened to me.”

Jack’s three children had similar insights.

Dr. Brooke Schaeffer Kaplan (BS ’03) planned to attend the University of Texas, but she took time to visit a cousin’s sorority house at UGA.

Brooke Schaeffer Kaplan in 1999, with the cousin she visited her first day on campus

Brooke Schaeffer Kaplan (left) in 1999, with the cousin she visited on the campus trip that convinced her to attend UGA

“I got to campus, and I knew it was where I was supposed to be,” Brooke said. “I felt that sense of community. I was searching for a sense of belonging—UGA made me feel the way I wanted to feel.”

Dr. Mark Schaeffer (BBA ’06) knew UGA’s pull long before he arrived as a student.

The Schaeffers had cheered at Georgia football games for years from a family suite at the UGA Center for Continuing Education. The day Mark walked onto campus as a student, he already felt like an ambassador for the school—and then he was one, becoming a Visitor Center tour guide.

“I was an official representative of UGA,” he said. “It was so rewarding to just talk about how great UGA is. I felt like I helped high school visitors decide to come to college here.”

Dr. David Schaeffer (BS ’12) is the most recent family UGA alum. Though he’d been accepted at another prestigious university, he just couldn’t imagine himself there.

“I’d gone to Athens dozens and dozens of times,” he said. “I didn’t have to picture myself there. I just felt like I already was there.”

Jack and David Schaeffer shake hands after David's graduation in Sanford Stadium.

Jack and David Schaeffer shake hands after David’s graduation in Sanford Stadium.

The eyes have it

All four Schaeffers, two generations, followed their 20/20 UGA visions into the same field of study: optometry.

Jack set up practice as founder and CEO of Schaeffer Eye Center in Birmingham, Alabama, after advanced study at Southern College of Optometry. His firm grew to 18 locations and a refractive laser center before he sold it to MyEyeDr in 2017.

The Schaeffer kids grew up in a world of eye charts, lenses, and frames.

“Schaeffer Eye Center was basically a family business,” Jack said. “All my children participated in the practice. And they all understood we were not only an eye clinic, but a community company.

“We cared for patients. We cared for families. We cared for our communities. We always believed in being something bigger than just a business.”

David, Mark and Jack Schaeffer in 2016, after Mark was named one of UGA's 40 Under 40.

David, Mark and Jack Schaeffer in 2016, after Mark was named one of UGA’s 40 Under 40.

UGA focused the Schaeffers on service

Brooke works today as a clinical assistant professor at UAB in addition to practicing optometry at MyEyeDr as a market clinical manager. Mark serves not only in MyEyeDr but also within the larger optometric community as a board member of the Intrepid Eye Society. David joined the family business after he finished studies at the Illinois College of Optometry.

All three Schaeffer kids say UGA prepared them for lives of service.

“We all wanted to do something bigger than just serve ourselves,” said Brooke. “We all wanted to help people in some way.”

Brooke lauds UGA professors for sharpening her professional capabilities. “I learned time management skills. I learned study skills. I had the ability to talk with my professors one-on-one. It set me up for success.”

Mark strongly credits UGA for his community consciousness.

“The environment at the university emphasized collaborative learning and collaborative work to create a better student,” he said. “I’ve had the privilege to work in many different settings using the shared community to promote growth not only in myself but also in the greater world.”

Among David’s favorite memories is a scavenger hunt held at his induction into the Dean William Tate Honor Society, the most prestigious honor UGA can bestow on a first-year student. The hunt took him to notable locations on campus, ending at the Founders Memorial Garden.

“It was a search for something hidden, that you might miss if you didn’t have some idea of what you were looking for,” David said. “It was powerful and memorable.”

The scavenger hunt could serve as a metaphor for what every scholar at UGA seeks.

David, Brooke and Mark Schaeffer in 2017, at the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta

David, Brooke and Mark Schaeffer in 2017, at the SEC Championship Game in Atlanta

Understanding this, the Schaeffers have always placed great value on giving back—to communities and organizations and institutions that help shape values, instill wisdom, and equip people to succeed in life.

Jack, the patriarch, speaks for the whole Schaeffer family.

“When you are passionate about a place, a cause, or an institution, it is imperative that you demonstrate that passion by being involved,” he said. “That includes gifts of time and money. There should be a commitment to both.

“It does so much good when you give back. And it just feels good.”

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UGA alumna credits scholarship program for professional success

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Growing up, Natalie Clauson (AB ’21) always knew she wanted to be a Bulldog. Coming from a family of Georgia fans and an older brother who loved his time at the university, she built a dream of becoming a Dawg herself. Now, after graduating with a degree in public relations and working her way up to a manager position in a Bulldog 100 company, she has become quite the outstanding alumna.

Natalie Clauson credits much of her professional success to the Georgia Commitment Scholarship (GCS) program that allowed her to thrive during her time at UGA. “It was such a blessing, beyond just financially,” she said.

The GCS program has created more than 680 endowed, need-based scholarships since 2017, and students in Natalie’s scholarship cohort were some of the first to be awarded this aid. The program invests in its students financially, but also professionally and academically with a focus on providing networking opportunities and career coaching. Natalie explains, “GCS is like having an extra layer of support at UGA in all aspects of student life.”

As an undergraduate student, Natalie was involved in many areas on campus. She served as T-shirt Chair for Alpha Chi Omega, designing merchandise for her sorority—something she considers an integral part of her college experience. She was also a member of the Wesley Foundation, serving as a small group leader and discipleship mentor. In addition, Natalie was a teacher’s assistant for American Sign Language (ASL) courses and closely worked with ASL students and Brian Leffler, lecturer in the Mary Frances Early College of Education. This experience, as well as her involvement with her sorority and campus ministry, gave her a passion for mentorship that she carries with her to this day.

Natalie, at a Georgia-Florida game with friends

Natalie, at a Georgia-Florida game with friends

“My biggest advice to current UGA students is to find a mentor,” Natalie states. “Finding people to ask for advice who had similar career goals to me was something that I really valued in college. I don’t think I would have the experience that I do now without that.”

Donors who create Georgia Commitment Scholarships like Natalie’s have the opportunity to provide direct mentorship to the student receiving the scholarship. Natalie remains connected to her donor, Samuel Holmes, and the team of UGA staff who operate the GCS program. “The fact that the team still checks on me shows how much they care about the students going through this program,” said Natalie.

During her time as a student, Natalie worked as an intern with a public relations agency she was connected to through the GCS program. Her experiences in that internship helped her to land a position with her current employer, Marketwake, a leading digital marketing agency and 2023 Bulldog 100 honoree based in Atlanta. After finishing the junior associate program, which places great emphasis on mentorship and training, Natalie was offered a full-time role with the company as a technical project manager and traffic manager.

“Being part of the GCS program was essential to my growth as a student and a professional,” she states. “I wouldn’t be where I am without it.”

UGA CARE Center receives major gift with touching dedication

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Elliott Marsh (BSA ’02, MAL ’11) is highly involved in his alma mater, serving on the board of directors of the University of Georgia Alumni Association and having been a president of the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Alumni Association, but his most recent commitment to the university is among his most personal.

For nearly eight years, Elliott’s father, Chris Marsh, suffered from Lewy Body Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease. His mother, Annette Marsh, was Chris’s primary caretaker until she unexpectedly passed away from cancer. Throughout her husband’s illness, Annette struggled to find a diagnosis, care assistance at home and general information on care for dementia.

“My mom stood behind my dad, probably to her detriment,” said Elliott. “She sheltered all of us from some of the symptoms and issues that went along with his dementia and did not want it to take away from our lives.”

Following his father’s passing, Elliott, his wife Christy (BBA ’02), and their daughters Adison—a UGA student—and Annalee wanted to find a way to honor Chris and Annette’s memory while helping other families with similar medical histories. This drew the two to the UGA Cognitive Aging Research and Education (CARE) Center.

The CARE Center, a unit within the Institute of Gerontology in the College of Public Health, is a clinical, research and outreach space that delivers education on dementia risk reduction, conducts cutting-edge research and provides planning and support for persons with dementia and their care partners. Their team works to change dementia education, diagnosis, and support — expanding services to rural and underserved communities across the state. The mission of the CARE Center hit the Marshes close to home.

At a UGA Alumni Association board meeting last January, Elliott found himself in the College of Public Health listening to Marsha Davis, dean of the college, discuss the CARE Center and the impact it planned on having.

“I remember sitting there and almost starting to cry,” said Elliott. “What she described was exactly what my family needed.”

This impactful meeting convinced the Marshes that the CARE Center had the ability to affect millions across the state and the country suffering from dementia just like Elliott’s father. In memory of his parents, Elliott and Christy made a $25,000 gift to create the Chris and Annette Marsh CARE Center Student Support Fund to further the CARE Center’s life-changing mission.

“CARE faculty, staff and students see dementia differently,” said Dr. Lisa Renzi-Hammond, co-director of the CARE Center. “We see a Georgia with less care crisis, more access to early and accurate diagnosis, and in the long run, less dementia.”

“The Marsh family sees the same Georgia that we do, and their gift enables us to take students to the communities that need us most, allow students to see the beauty of Georgia’s rural communities, and form meaningful relationships with people in our rural communities that will change how our students approach their careers in health.”

Those who share the Marshes’ and the CARE Center’s aim to improve dementia outcomes can donate to the Chris and Annette Marsh CARE Center Student Support Fund.

“My parents modeled many traits in their lives including compassion, sacrifice, and commitment,” said Elliott. “They taught us to dream, care and counsel. Most of all they demonstrated and lived an undying love for each other and us. They touched many people in their lives, and I hope this gift helps to carry on that legacy of generosity and provide comfort to others in need.”

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Kelly Layton supports UGA’s future artists and designers

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University of Georgia alumna Kelly Layton made a significant investment in the future of the program that gave her her start with a $500,000 gift to create the Layton Graphic Design Endowment.

“Georgia has a great graphic design program, and more people need to know about it,” said Layton. “If you want to pursue art, UGA presents such a great opportunity: a quality program, a rich campus community and a well-rounded, liberal-arts education.”

The endowment will provide substantial support for the graphic design area—part of UGA’s Lamar Dodd School of Art. Graphic design is the most high-demand, selective major in the School of Art, and with her contribution, Layton hopes to both elevate the program and inspire future artists and designers.

“This gift will be transformative for graphic design and our students as we have minimal to no discretionary funds,” said Julie Spivey, graphic design professor and area chair. “We truly cannot thank Kelly enough.”

Layton, who received her bachelor of fine arts degree in 1990, is a longtime donor to the university along with her husband, Brent. Her gift came after a campus visit to the School of Art.

“I had not been to see the graphic design area since I was in school,” said Layton. “And after I went, met with the professors, listened to what the area’s needs were and sat in on a class, I knew the difference I could make and knew I had to contribute.”

Layton works on her senior portfolio in 1990.

Layton works on her senior portfolio in 1990.

Layton’s gift is the largest single commitment in the graphic design area’s history. Spivey, along with the rest of the graphic design faculty, believe that the endowment will help to further improve the small, but accomplished area of study.

Layton herself secured a design position at BellSouth after she graduated, and for half a decade, she climbed the ranks there until the tragic death of her younger sister led her to re-evaluate her life. She decided then to devote herself to supporting her family—she and Brent had a son two years prior to this decision and found they were expecting another two weeks after—and helping Brent grow his consulting business.

“I made sure to keep in touch with my art,” said Layton. “I made logos for my sons’ sports teams, did some volunteer graphic design for their schools, made logos for friends, calligraphy for weddings, things like that.”

The business she helped her husband grow opened doors that eventually led to him becoming president and COO of a company ranked 26 among the 2022 Fortune 500.

Brent and Kelly in 1987, just before that year's Georgia-Florida game.

Brent and Kelly in 1987, just before that year’s Georgia-Florida game.

Her family moved to St. Louis in 2010 and built a life there, but Georgia was never far from their minds—they continued to cheer for the Dawgs, and her oldest son even earned a master of science in business analytics degree last spring. Thanks in part to one of the Laytons’ neighbors, that affinity became something more in the last five years.

“Our neighbor was talking to us about all these organizations he was involved with, all this philanthropy, and he said, ‘First, you learn. Then, you earn. Then, you return,’” said Layton. “And I thought that was a great lesson. And so my husband and I decided: we’ve been blessed to earn a lot, we’re doing well, now we need to start returning.”

Since 2017, they have made numerous substantial gifts to UGA, committing to support—among other areas—athletics, scholarships targeting UGA students from their hometown, UGA’s study abroad program in Spain and now the graphic design endowment.

“The more involved we’ve gotten, the more connected we feel, and the more we want to do,” said Layton. “It’s been such a joy to get reconnected with the university in all these ways, to visit and feel the excitement of being on campus. We just feel like we’re home again, and this is where we want to be.”