Donor Stories

David Finkelstein’s (‘86, Computer Information Systems) $10,000 gift to establish the Gigi Finkelstein Scholarship Fund is rooted in gratitude, memory, and a clear-eyed understanding of how fragile a college education can be when money is scarce.

When Kathy Simpson talks about her late husband, Don Berry (‘76, Forestry), there’s a light that rises in her voice, an unmistakable glow of a life deeply loved and profoundly shared. Don was a scientist at heart, and, as Kathy puts it, “He was the funniest, kindest person I ever met. His joy in the natural world was infectious.”

Daniel Walker (‘74, Biology) embodies both gratitude and purpose through his generosity to Cal Poly Humboldt’s Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry.

The Harris family’s philanthropy began, as Jim Harris tells it, around a dining room table.

Cal Poly Humboldt alumni, faculty, staff, parents, community members, and friends came together to provide unprecedented support for students and programs.

For David Tyler (‘83, English, Philosophy), giving back to Cal Poly Humboldt has always been about showing up—consistently, thoughtfully, and with heart.

Karla Darnall (‘78, Speech Pathology and German, ‘80, M.A. Speech Pathology, ‘07, Educational Leadership) and son, Matt Darnall (‘04, Mathematics), on behalf of their family, proudly established the Calvin and Virginia Kernen Family Endowment with a generous gift of $51,000.

For James Floss (‘85, Theatre Arts, ‘91, M.F.A.), education has never been just about checking off required courses—it’s a playground for curiosity and creativity.

Jack and Charlene Liebau have established the Marie Jacobs Liebau, Class of 1929, Endowed Scholarship for Teaching at Cal Poly Humboldt as a testament to their deep commitment to education.

Michael and Mary Lore Brown have made an incredible financial pledge to Cal Poly Humboldt’s School of Engineering’s new Energy Systems Engineering program. Their generous commitment embodies a profound dedication to inspiring education and innovation in renewable energy engineering, a field that has been a lifelong passion for Michael, who attended Humboldt in the late 60s.

At Cal Poly Humboldt, education is a catalyst for change—transforming lives, empowering communities, and fostering opportunities. Embodying this belief, the University introduced the Humboldt First Scholarship five years ago to financially support local students and encourage them to pursue higher education while staying closer to home and connected to their families and communities.

What will your legacy be? There are two primary ways to impact future generations of students at Cal Poly Humboldt: legacy gifts and endowments.

At Cal Poly Humboldt, every gift—whether large or small—has the power to transform a student's life.

Carl “Chip” (‘78, Natural Resources) and Kareen Moriarty-Kalvin (‘99, Liberal Studies, ‘09, M.A. Education) are dedicated to protecting the environment from the impact of climate change. In gratitude

Cal Poly Humboldt’s first comprehensive fundraising campaign has surpassed its goal of at least $50 million, with thousands of people giving at record levels to support dramatic growth in student scholarships and campus programs. The campaign goal was reached more than a year early.

The Cal Poly Humboldt Foundation partnered with the Ceramics Area of the Department of Art + Film’s Ceramics Club of Cal Poly Humboldt to create and produce over 400 Cal Poly Humboldt-inspired ceramic mugs as a unique gift for the University’s most generous recent donors.

When Dr. Kathleen Welsh asked her father, Emeritus Professor of Zoology James F. Welsh, how else she could support Cal Poly Humboldt, he told her to consider the students' hands-on learning

Rangeland Resource and Wildland Soils Professor Emeritus Susan Edinger Marshall established the Steven E. Slusser Memorial Endowment with a $25,000 gift.

If you mentioned a business idea to entrepreneur and businessman Jim Yates, he would’ve immediately provided you with a detailed plan on how to turn that idea into a reality. To memorialize Jim and help Cal Poly Humboldt students interested in entrepreneurship with tuition costs, Jim’s daughter Jaime Lancaster (‘03, Business Administration), now a faculty member in the School of Business, created the Jim Yates Business Endowed Fund with a gift of $37,500.

Thomas (‘77, Zoology) and his wife, Sara Ferguson, were able to get their higher education degrees when it was much less expensive to attend college and benefited from scholarships and grants. To

Editor's note: This story was updated on Nov. 3, 2023. As a Cal Poly Humboldt student studying theater and film, David Phillips (‘69, Theatre Arts), along with his late friend Don McKenzie (‘69,

Del Skeesick (‘61, Fisheries Biology, ‘63 M.S. Fisheries Biology) began working with fish at the Minnesota Labor Department of Fisheries in 1954. As part of the Brothertown Tribe at Fond du Lac, fish is integral to his life and culture.

“Once you’ve wrestled, everything else in life is easy.” This saying is known to everyone who’s hit the mat and wrestled at one point or time. For Virgil Moorehead (‘83, Education), Craig Vejvoda (‘80, Business Administration), and Dan Phillips (‘91, Business and Computer Information Systems), who were members of the Humboldt wrestling community, it’s true.

Over the last year, thousands of donors stepped up to support Cal Poly Humboldt students, giving $12.5 million to advance academic excellence, expand educational access, and foster innovative research and programs.

Through the proceeds of a real estate transaction, real estate agent Joyce West and her friend Pamela Kelley created the Pamela J. Kelley and Joyce M. West Scholarship Endowment for scholarships to Cal Poly Humboldt basketball players.