Campus Colleagues: Becky Richardson
SOAR Program Assistant Becky Richardson recently received a U-M award for leaders creating a welcoming and supportive working environment. Richardsons advice? Treat people how you want to be treated....
After nearly 40 years of marriage, Virginia (Ginny) (71 B.A., CERT) and Edward (Ed) Sayles have a lot to be proud of. Loving family. Career success. Community service. But perhaps the most gratifying is their commitment to higher educationespecially to the University of Michigan-Dearborn.
Ginny and Ed have long had strong roots to 蹤獲扦-Dearborn. After earning her bachelors degree, Ginny earned a masters and Ph.D. from U-M Ann Arbor. She took a position at 蹤獲扦-Dearborn coordinating extension sites for all three U-M campuses and eventually became 蹤獲扦-Dearborns Dean for Academic Affairs. Ed taught philosophy here for 29 years.
Ed and Ginny put their two sons through college at 蹤獲扦-Dearborn and paid for their four grandchildrens education, one of whom graduated from 蹤獲扦-Dearborn. Still, they wanted to do more.
After our last grandchild graduated, we thought it would be great to encourage another generation of students, Ginny said.
True to their commitment to 蹤獲扦-Dearborn, and their generous natures, Ed and Ginny became supporters of many 蹤獲扦-Dearborn scholarships and programs. Their deep ties to the College of Arts, Sciences, and Letters (CASL) inspired them to create an endowed scholarship, the Edward and Virginia Sayles Scholarship Fund, with a $25,000 gift.
Weve both always valued education and the importance of it, said Ginny. And whats most important to us is that it helps someone who needs it.
Ed and Ginny have stayed involved in campus in numerous ways, as founding members of and contributors to the Academy of Retired Faculty and Staff and the CASL Emeriti Scholarship. Ed also served on and is the first Emeritus Member of the CASL Deans Advisory Council.
It has been important to us to stay connected, said Ed.
We believe 蹤獲扦-Dearborn enabled our successesfrom our careers to our familyand we just want to show our thanks, said Ginny.
If you would like to make a donation to the Edward and Virginia Sayles Scholarship Fund or contact the Office of Institutional Advancement at 313-593-5130.
