McMullen Family Athletic Scholarship Matching Program
1/21/2020 10:00:00 AM | General
As Deacon Club members and athletic supporters evaluate the various areas of need and how those align with their respective giving interests, the opportunity to start a scholarship continues to appeal to many.
Despite one's affiliation with the University, there's a shared feeling of wanting to expose others to Wake Forest and all it has to offer. Whether it's former student-athletes or alumni wanting to pay it forward, parents who recognize and appreciate their child's experience or members of the community who have adopted the school as their own, many individuals are actively seeking out ways to have a meaningful impact on the lives of current and future Wake Foresters.
As Deacon Club members and athletic supporters evaluate the various areas of need and how those align with their respective giving interests, the opportunity to start a scholarship continues to appeal to many. While the Athletic Department aims to fully fund athletic scholarship costs by 2040—requiring an investment of approximately $640 million—and match each student-athlete receiving a scholarship to a living donor, numerous individuals have stepped up to make leadership gifts in support of these goals. Highlighted by six families who have established athletic scholarship matching programs, it's inspiring to see the extensive impact being made.
Each family that initiated a match generously committed half of the required amount to establish their preferred number of scholarships, respectively, with the other half of each scholarship being contributed by other individuals and families who want to be part of creating their own legacies with Wake Forest Athletics. Collectively, the six matching programs have created 28 opportunities for other families to get involved with scholarship support.
For Mike and Dolores McMullen (P '14, P '17, P '18), their Wake Forest connection stemmed through their two sons, Tyler ('14) and Nate ('17, MS '18). The McMullens are extremely passionate about higher education and making it available to as many people as possible. When they were presented with the chance to combine that passion for education with their love of athletics, all while giving back and helping others in the Wake Forest community via a scholarship matching program, they were beyond thrilled. While the family already established their own athletic and academic scholarships, starting this match allowed them to have a more widespread impact.
Reflecting on that decision, Mike stated, "It started off with the simple desire to give back and provide opportunities to Wake Forest student-athletes, but it's so much more than that. From having the ability to create relationships with the student-athletes assigned to the scholarships, to staying connected with the University and Athletic Department, to simply getting to know other families involved in supporting athletics, it means a great deal to all of us to be part of this."
When choosing to create the matching program, it was important to Mike and Dolores that it involved Tyler and Nate as well, and now it has become a source of pride for the whole family. "Weaving family into my Wake Forest experience has deepened my connection with the University," Tyler shared. "I relish in the fact that we are united in a legacy that will last beyond my four years as a student."
"Wake creates a community of intelligent, passionate and compassionate people who I believe can change the world," Nate added. "Being fortunate enough to be a part of the expansion and diversification of this community makes me proud."
Another facet of the match that was enticing to the McMullens was the ability to help get more people involved. Not only have they been able to add to their own legacy, but due to their generosity, they have helped five other families deepen their connections with Wake Forest Athletics and offer talented and deserving student-athletes the chance to earn a world-class education while competing at the highest level.
From parents to young families, matching programs have made scholarship support more appealing and accessible. For David ('05) and Aimee Kahn who established the Kahn and McMullen Family Athletic Scholarship, "The matching program made this something that we were able to get involved in earlier than we may have otherwise, lets us have flexibility to continue to explore, and immediately provides a network of other Demon Deacon supporters who are going through the same process."
By allowing others to begin creating a legacy with Wake Forest earlier than they expected or thought possible, athletic scholarship matching programs are enabling other families to have decades of time to enjoy and continue investing in their scholarships, while maintaining a vested interest in the future of the athletic programs and University.
In addition, for families like the Kahns, it's exciting to start this legacy that they can share with their young children throughout their childhood, and the rest of their lives. "When thinking about our little ones and cheering on the Deacs in the years to come, seeing our kids interact with, get to know and cheer for the student-athletes they look up to is something we're really looking forward to," David said.
Similar to the McMullens, many families who support athletic scholarships cite the ability to make a difference in the lives of student-athletes as a key reason for giving back in this way. Todd Massey (P '22) and his wife, Emily (P '22), participated in the McMullen's matching program, establishing the Massey-McMullen Scholarship, for exactly that reason. "We thought this was a great way to help the school's athletic programs, but more importantly, we saw this as an opportunity to give someone who may not have otherwise been able to attend Wake the chance to benefit from a great education," Todd said.
As parents of a current freshman on the dance team, Mike and Sheri Viola (P '22) know firsthand how impactful attending Wake Forest can be. "Our daughter's experience at Wake has been fantastic thus far, and we wanted to help provide that same experience to others," Mike stated. Taking part in a matching program allowed them to get involved at a higher level, and they're excited to have established a legacy through the Viola and McMullen Athletic Scholarship that will be there long after their daughter Amanda ('22) graduates.
One of the most rewarding parts about supporting a scholarship, however, is that the impact goes far beyond the recipient's time in school and positively affects the rest of their lives. As a scholarship donor, you have the unique ability to form a bond with each recipient and truly feel like you're a part of that individual's success, both academically and athletically, while at Wake, as well as all that he or she achieves afterward. In many cases, the relationships forged between student-athletes and scholarship donors lead to lifelong connections.
For Sarah Pickens ('05), establishing those relationships is what she's most looking forward to when it comes to her family's scholarship—the Prince Pickens McMullen Athletic Scholarship—which helps honor her late grandfather, Eldred Eugene Prince Sr., who graduated from Wake Forest College in 1933. "The opportunity to participate in the match was a no brainer for us," she affirmed. "Building a relationship with a student-athlete will make all the difference. I have personally benefited from my Wake connections over the years, and I can't wait to see the connections that are made and flourish through our commitment to this scholarship."
To learn more about scholarship matching opportunities, please contact Mike Piscetelli at (336) 758-3647 or piscetmf@wfu.edu.
(Please note: This article was originally published in the March 2019 issue of Gold Rush.)
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