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CLIFF ‘06 & APRIL ‘09 (STOTTLEMYRE) DEGRAFF
A little bit about their time at MVC
to people who received it themselves; we both relied on scholarships and realize that we wouldn’t be where we’re at without the support of alumni before us. So I guess we’d like to think we’re paying it forward. We’re also very supportive of the current administration. They have a strong vision for MVC, and that vision has been instrumental in many positive changes to campus. We hope our gifts will support student learning opportunities, whether that’s through scholarships, experiences or athletics. We want MVC to be competitive and continue to give students the opportunity to change their life. Why do you think it's important to give to MVC/belong to the President's Society? We believe philanthropy in general is important and give to causes that we trust to make a difference; education is at the top of that list. An education has the potential to change a person’s life--it changed ours, and we want to help future students who need the support. Why would you encourage others to consider giving to MVC? We encourage all alumni to think about the best experiences they had at MVC, and to consider that a donation likely helped make it happen. Whether it was a fraternity or sorority activity, working in the college’s radio station, a class field trip, or a theatre or music production, donations ensure that future students have that same (or a better) experience. Being a President’s Society member is just the level at which we feel comfortable donating now--it’s getting us comfortable with a long-term giving commitment and still gives us the flexibility to invest in other things we enjoy, like traveling. What do you hope your gifts will do for MVC?
April was a first-generation college student who was recruited for track and majored in public relations. Cliff was on the golf team and majored in biology. He was also a member of Alpha Sigma Phi.
How has MVC impacted your life?
We don’t think it’s an overstatement to say that many of the best things about our lives now, were somehow woven together at MVC. We met each other, we met our best friends, and we got an education that formed the base of our careers. The people who stood up with us at our wedding and the people who helped us network to get jobs--they’re all connected to MVC. We’ve lived in Columbia for three years now. We both work for University of Missouri Health Care. April is the senior marketing strategist and Cliff is a practice manager. April went on to earn an MBA from the University of Central Missouri, and Cliff earned an MSRS (Master of Science in Radiologic Sciences) from Midwestern State University in Wichita Falls, Texas. When you give your money to any cause is a personal decision. For us, a major factor was paying off all of our student loan debt and completing our advanced degrees, and once we did that we felt like we had the resources to donate more consistently. Our first donation was to support the campaign for the Malcolm Center for Student Life. Seeing that building and how it’s used by students really gave us the fuel to continue to support initiatives like the Valley Annual Fund and the new Fletcher Athletic Complex. Where are you now? At what point did you choose to support MVC?
Why MVC—why did you choose to support MVC?
As we’ve become more involved with the college, we see the tangible impact donations have on today’s students. The need for financial assistance is much more obvious
10 Viking Views | Spring/Summer 2018
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