October 09, 2012
Whenever the members of The McCallen Society get together, it’s
not surprising that the topic of conversation quickly turns to a
discussion of family – their St. John’s University family. These
generous and caring individuals believe so strongly in the
University that they have included it in their estate plans.
Photo gallery
At the recent McCallen Society Recognition Luncheon, St. John’s
President Rev. Donald J. Harrington, C.M. expressed his
appreciation for their willingness to invest in the University’s
future.
“You’ve worked hard for your resources,” noted Fr.
Harrington, “and as members of The McCallen Society, you’ve made a
commitment that a portion of those resources will come
to St. John’s in the future. You’ll live on in the
vibrancy of the young people who will come here, year after year. I
thank you for your commitment to St. John’s and I invite you to
live forever through our University.”
There are currently more than 550 members of this special group of
donors. Some have been involved for years, while others have made
the decision to participate within the past few months. And though
their lives have gone in many directions since leaving St. John’s,
at some point they came to the realization that they wanted to do
something to keep their legacy alive at the University.
For Paul Kissinger ’55C ’68G, the memories of the good times he had
while an undergraduate on the Lewis Avenue campus are as vivid
today as ever. Kissinger spent 20 years as a Chemist with the City
of New York, and attributes his career success to his excellent St.
John’s education. He also acknowledges that the personal attention
he received was another important part of his decision to give back
to the University.
“St.
John’s was so good to me, they treated me so well, that I’m glad to
leave some of my estate to the University,” he said. “I liked
everything about it when I was a student, and I still do. I really
like the concept behind The McCallen Society, and I hope that St.
John’s continues to flourish in the future. It’s nice to know that
I can be a part of it.”
A lifelong teacher, Evelyn Paola ’57Ed, ’59GEd is well aware of the
importance of education for young people as they prepare to make
their way into the world. She has seen firsthand the financial
difficulties that many families face when trying to secure a
quality education for their children, and hope that her
participation in The McCallen Society will help to ease that burden
for a future St. John’s student.
“I’ve been a member of The McCallen Society for quite a while,” she
noted, “because I want to see St. John’s go on with the education
of young people. I hope that my estate gift will be used for a
student in The School of Education who cannot afford to go to St.
John’s and pay for it on her own. It’s a way for me to maintain my
legacy and live on through the students who will be here in the
future. Even after all these years, St. John’s is still a part of
my life and always will be. Red and white are my favorite
colors!”
Although Michael Anglin ’70CBA ’80MBA joined The McCallen Society
only a few months ago, his enthusiasm for the organization’s goals
and ideals is unmatched. After retiring from a successful business
career, he returned to St. John’s as a member of the faculty,
seeing it as a way to show his appreciation to the University that
did so much for him.
“St.
John’s has been very helpful throughout my career with my
undergraduate degree in Accounting, and then changing career paths
and earning my graduate degree in Marketing provided a very strong
foundation for my corporate career,” he said. “When I graduated
from St. John’s I went into the business world and had
a job from the day I got out. Unlike today’s world, I worked
without any interruptions for 35 years. I didn’t know about The
McCallen Society until recently, and when I found out I looked at
it as an opportunity to give back to a community that helped me and
was very instrumental to me. My Mom and Dad were very important in
helping me with my education, and I know that helping St. John’s is
something that they would want.”