Did you know that only 5 percent of Terry alums contribute to the Annual Fund?
Diane Bloodworth (BBA '82) does — and the story of why she supports the Terry College with Annual Fund contributions goes all the way back to her first airplane ride.
"The first time I flew on an airplane was my senior year in college when the Finance Club made a trip to New York City," says Bloodworth, who started her career at IBM and is now president/founder of an Atlanta-based IT firm, PerceptivePro. "The trip was a wonderful experience that I will never forget. I was ready to take on the business world!"
Bloodworth's career took her to a number of cities, and when she moved back to Georgia three years ago she returned to her Terry roots for networking. One of the first events she attended was a Terry Third Thursday lecture, which proved to be a very wise decision.
"I met my attorney at Terry Third Thursday," says Bloodworth, "and I also reconnected with one of my sorority sisters, who is providing a part-time software developer to augment my staff. Through Terry, I learned about the internship program, and I recently hired a Terry grad to assist me with a new product launch."
Tracy Dunbar (MBA '06) gives to the Annual Fund as way of saying thanks for two pivotal experiences during her MBA studies at Terry.
"In the spring semester of my final year, I registered for an international business course to study economic structures in Cuba," says Dunbar, who has worked for Bear Stearns, JP Morgan Chase, and The Home Depot. "The course culminated in a two-week trip to Cuba, where we took courses in business and economics at the University of Havana and also immersed ourselves in Cuban culture."
Dunbar's "key experiential learning experience" came as a member of a Terry team that won first place and a $15,000 cash award at the Daimler-Chrysler business case competition at the National Black MBA Conference in October 2005.
"Our team developed the best strategic analysis and marketing plan on how to penetrate the automobile market in China — and many of our recommendations were implemented by Daimler-Chrysler the following year," says Dunbar, who credits the experience with sharpened her presentation skills, teaching her to work under pressure, and helping her develop a strategic thought process.
Ashley Scott (BBA '93, MAcc '94) contributes to the Annual Fund as a way of paying tribute to accounting professor Earl Davis, who has just had an endowed chair established in his honor at Terry.
"I took Tax Research from Dr. Davis...there is no harder class in school," says Scott, who is a tax partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP in Atlanta. "Dr. Davis was also the Beta Alpha Psi sponsor and he was very active in connecting students with jobs when they graduated. He gave me the tools I needed to be successful, he had a love of teaching, and it is hard to put into words how important Dr. Davis was to my career. I will always consider him a dear friend and mentor."
Scott also remembers her Terry years as the first time she met future colleague Keith Ruth (BBA '85, MAcc '86). "Keith was a guest speaker in one of my accounting classes, and 12 years later he announced me as a partner at Pricewaterhouse Coopers."
The 2007-08 Annual Fund drive is now in full swing with students making phone-a-thon calls to some 10,000 of the college's supporters. Terry will close the books on this year's fund drive at the end of the fiscal year on June 30, and Dean Robert Sumichrast considers it a critical strategic resource.
"What the Annual Fund provides is the margin of excellence for students," says Sumichrast. "It is a pool of unrestricted gifts that allows the college to react to unanticipated opportunities for learning during the school year — such as defraying the cost for student teams that advance to regional or national business competitions, helping students participate in service-learning trips, or sponsoring career fairs to help our students choose the optimum place to begin their business careers.
"To people outside the college, the Annual Fund may be under-appreciated because it doesn't create big endowments or naming opportunities. But to those of us within the college — and particularly to our students — the Annual Fund is indispensable."
Donate to Terry's Annual Fund »
"When I moved back to Georgia, one of the first networking events I attended was Terry Third Thursday. I met my attorney there and reconnected with a sorority sister, who provided me with a software developer. I also hired a Terry grad to assist with a product launch. Terry got me started in my career and continues to play an important role."
Diane Bloodworth
BBA 1982
"I want to support the difference Terry makes in individual lives and in the business community. I like to give to institutions that are purposeful in their endeavors and on the move. Terry has so many great initiatives, along with the passion to see them through. Terry is on the rise, knows where it's going, and is worthy of my support."
Rick Doherty
BBA 1978
"I enjoyed the MBA program, where I traveled overseas, represented Terry at business competitions, and co-authored a business case. These opportunities were made possible by the availability of financial resources and the can-do attitude of the faculty and administration. I will continue to share my time and resources in support of Terry!"
Tracy S. Dunbar
MBA 2006
"Terry provided a team-oriented environment, a skill I use regularly. My finance and entrepreneurship classes proved invaluable in my efforts to evaluate a broad array of business opportunities. Giving back to Terry is one way alumni can ensure that the value of their degree appreciates over time and enhances the experience of future students."
Doug Ghertner
MBA 2003
"It's hard to beat four years in Athens! The Terry College, the Institute for Leadership Advancement, and the entire University experience prepared for me success in the business world. I've been able to compete against peers from the top business schools — and giving back will only further enable Terry grads to do the same in the future."
Emily Magill
BBA 2005
UGA gave us a great foundation from a job-skills perspective — plus a great group of friends and business associates that is always expanding. It is important to do what we can to help support Terry so current and future students can have that same experience, and also enjoy newer and better resources, programs, and facilities. Go Dawgs!"
Jay and Sandy C. O'Meara
Jay: BBA 1997, MBA 2000 / Sandy: BBA 1998, MAcc 1999
"No matter how smart you are or how hard you work, you'll never get where you want to go alone. I give to the Earl Davis Chair because Dr. Davis played a key role in my success. I am a partner in one of the greatest firms in the world because of his encouragement and teaching. I want to support the school and its professors and I always will."
Ashley P. Scott
BBA 1993, MAcc 1994
If you are interested in sharing your "why I give" quote or supporting the Terry College of Business, please contact us at 706-542-3210.
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