Planned gift extends reach of scholarship for chemistry students

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Steven Weeks

Steven Weeks hopes that the scholarship he endowed in 2012 will have the same impact on a student considering Washburn University today that a Garvey Scholarship had on him.

Weeks came to Washburn as a first-generation college student because of the Garvey Scholarship and graduated summa cum laude in 1972 with a Bachelor of Science in chemistry.

Now, thanks to his decision to bolster his endowed scholarship with a planned gift, Weeks' support will impact both current and future generations of Washburn students pursuing a degree in chemistry.

Weeks said he wanted to support Washburn's Chemistry Department because of its impressive faculty and his experience at Washburn.

"Washburn works hard to maintain its standards and maintain its faculty," he said. "I really appreciate that the special virtues Washburn had back when I was in school, it still has now."

After graduating and working for a few years, Weeks took the analytical skills he learned at Washburn to Harvard Law School. He graduated cum laude in 1977 and is now a partner in the Cincinnati office of Taft Stettinius & Hollister LLP.

"Washburn really changed my family tree. It gave me the platform to succeed in the most competitive post-graduate academic environment," he said. "I was able to reach a professional level I would have never even dreamed of when I was in high school. That's why I think people who are able should give back."

Because he has established the fund during his lifetime, Weeks will get to meet some of the scholarship recipients, and with his planned gift the scholarship's significance will continue to grow.

Weeks said he enjoys supporting a scholarship because of the direct impact it has on students.

"It's something that has permanence. It will help a lot of people far beyond my lifetime," he said.

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