Chicago Couple Gifts Millions to Wabash College
Wabash College Snodell Scholar Samuel Pipiras with scholarship benefactors Walt and Kathy Snodell
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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowA new recruiting initiative at Wabash College is being funded by a significant gift from a Wabash alumnus and his wife. Walt and Kathy Snodell have donated $4 million to the Crawfordsville school to reach prospective students in their native Chicago, and surrounding areas.
The Snodell’s gift will help the school develop a plan based on four components: scholarships, an admissions counselor based in Chicago, marketing, and support for recruitment events in the Chicagoland area, eastern Iowa and southern Wisconsin.
“Chicago may be the most competitive market in the country,” Associate Dean for Enrollment Chip Timmons said. “The Snodells’ gift has given us a strong, constant presence we lacked over the last decade, and we are excited to see how the investments we’re making now pay dividends in the future.”
The gift also funds the first group of "Snodell Scholars", which is a program that offers up to $15,000 each year for students from Chicago, northern Illinois, eastern Iowa or southern Wisconsin. Seven students in the college’s freshman class make up the group this year, including Sam Pipiras of New Lenox, IL.
“The Snodell Scholarship allows me to get ahead of the financial obstacles I face in my future,” said Pipiras. “The only way to really show my appreciation is to make sure I work hard so that one day I have the same opportunity to give back to young men just like myself.”
The Snodell’s gift is part of the $225 million Giant Steps Campaign, which focuses on Wabash’s endowment for scholarships, faculty and academic programs.