A global gift
From President's Office to around the world, Rugena Hall sees value in supporting Washburn
Rugena Hall
As a child, Rugena Hall lived in Japan while her father was stationed there in the Air Force. That sparked an interest in travel and culture that increased years later when she became involved in hosting international students studying at Washburn University. At one point, Rugena and her husband, Jim Hall, had a student from China live with them for two and a half years.
"Those events have contributed to why I think international studies programs are so important," Rugena, ba ’00, said. "You learn so much. You can read about it in a book. You can talk to people here in the states about it, but until you actually go there, it's not real."
Rugena has worked at Washburn for 25 years. She and Jim give annually to international studies and other campus areas, and she created a program fund named after herself and Carly Wang, bba '11, her student from China. A gift in her estate will endow the Rugena Hall & Luodan 'Carly' Wang International Program Fund and provide financial assistance every year in perpetuity to Washburn's Office of International Programs. The office coordinates Washburn students studying abroad and international students studying on campus.
The combination of experiencing another culture and sharing her own intrigues her. When she and Jim were hosting Carly, it was sometimes a challenge to explain social issues or common sayings.
"Every day after dinner Carly had questions; things she maybe heard or didn't understand," Rugena said. "Sometimes, Jim and I would go to bed that night and think, holy moly, that was really tough."
Jim and Rugena Hall
Rugena's Washburn adventure started as an office assistant to the assistant vice president for academic affairs 25 years ago. With Jim working for the railroad in the evenings, she decided to take advantage of employee tuition assistance and finish her degree.
"I thought it was crazy for me not to be taking classes," she said. "I did it just for me, and Washburn helped. I feel a great debt to Washburn, and I want to leave something in appreciation of that."
Rugena became assistant to President Jerry Farley in 2001 after she finished her bachelor of arts in communication. At first, she was intimidated working with a university president, but she said the Dr. Farley people see in public is the Dr. Farley she sees in the office.
Carly Wang and her husband, Aaron. As an international student, Carly lived with the Halls for two and a half years.
"People will say to me, 'What's he like?' He's just like when you meet him. That's what he's like; he's not any different," she said. "He's very easy to work with and has a great sense of humor."
As his assistant for 19 years, she's seen plenty of good things. She recently saw campus units come together to help a student who was upset about his academic progress graduate with an associate's degree.
"All these people came together to make this happen for him and lift his spirits and make it a wonderful experience for him," she said.
"I have not regretted or had second thoughts about my gift to Washburn at all. It's the right thing to do. I work here and see all the wonderful things that happen. With the students I meet, I feel comfortable with the future, and I would like to see all of them be helped for generations to come."
Support what matters most to you
Like Rugena, you can make a future gift to Washburn University Foundation to impact the program that matters most to you. Contact Erin Aldridge at PlannedGiving@wualumni.org or 785.670.4483 to learn about your giving options.
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