Elon parents Bob and Kathleen Patrick, of Naples, Fla., were so impressed with the service experiences their children have had at Elon that they gave $250,000 to establish the Patrick Family Endowment For Service Learning Travel.
The couple want to expand the number of service trips the university offers and deepen students’ learning experiences. Funds from the endowment will provide travel grants to more students participating in service trips.
The Patricks say serving overseas made their children think more globally. Their son, Michael, an Elon senior, participated in a service trip to Brazil, while Melissa, a freshman, spent January’s Winter Term serving in Honduras.
“Bob and I feel like you learn the most about yourself when you help others, and we try to instill that philosophy in our children,” says Kathleen Patrick. “You can study forever and not learn as much as when you step outside your comfort zone and help others. Bob and I want to do whatever we can to provide that opportunity to students who want to participate in service but cannot afford to.”
Enhancing endowment support for service learning and other engaged learning opportunities at Elon is one of the goals of the $100 million Ever Elon Campaign to build the endowment, increase annual and planned gifts, and preserve and build the campus.