The alumni couple is investing in future generations while also sharing a unique giving model they hope others will consider.
Mike (‘95, Environmental Resources Engineering) arrived at Humboldt without a detailed plan for his major. Environmental Resources Engineering sounded like a good fit for his interests in math, science, and the environment. What he found was a program that offered both range and rigor that opened doors, sharpened his skills, and set the course for the rest of his life. Over time, and especially after going on to graduate school, he came to understand just how well Humboldt had prepared him for an engineering career.
“It really was eye-opening how well the curriculum, professors, and of course, summer jobs, prepared me for my career,” Mike says.
That preparation began paying off early. After his first year at Humboldt, Mike found work as a technician at an engineering firm and stayed with it through breaks and summers to help pay for school. That experience, combined with his coursework, led him to graduate school at UC Berkeley College of Engineering and then into a long, successful career in consulting engineering.
Looking back, Mike sees a clear thread connecting his undergraduate years to everything that came after.
Carmen (95, Wildlife) found her own path at Humboldt, one grounded in science, field experience, and a deep commitment to wildlife management. She gained early professional experience through a co-op with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, giving her a strong start in a highly competitive field. Together, Mike and Carmen built careers connected directly to the education they received at Humboldt.
For the Minches, that is part of what makes this gift so meaningful; they understood the value of what they had received and wanted to give back.
They began supporting Humboldt not long after Mike finished graduate school, once he had his first full-time job. That generosity grew over the years into a major planned gift through a charitable remainder trust, a vehicle that allows donors to place cash or appreciated assets into a trust, receive income for life, and make a future gift to charity from the trust's remaining value. For the Minches, it was a natural fit.
The trust allows donors to receive an immediate charitable deduction, avoid an upfront capital gains tax on appreciated assets transferred into the trust, receive lifetime income, and work to grow the value of the eventual gift over time.
“You get a tax deduction the year of the donation. You get income for life. And the trust value can grow over time,” Mike says. “I mean, what’s not to like, right?”
Just as important to the Minches was the opportunity to support their departments in a flexible way. Rather than specifying exactly how the funds should be used, they chose to empower Humboldt’s future leaders and faculty to direct the support where it is needed most.
That confidence comes from experience. Mike still remembers the extraordinary value of his Humboldt education and the opportunities it created. For him, giving has always felt like a continuation of the investment Humboldt first made in him.
Now, the Minches are helping ensure that same opportunity continues for future students. Their gift is both a tribute to the university that shaped them and an invitation to others to consider the legacy they want to leave.
To learn more about making a gift to Cal Poly Humboldt, contact the Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation at giving@humboldt.edu or (707) 826-5200.