The money donated will be allocated with $75,000 for the Sally Garrett Walters Memorial Scholarship program and $25,000 for support of student educational experiences including future study abroad trips, according to Dr. Karen McNealy, chair of the department.
“Dan exemplifies the spirit of alumni giving back, which is vital in many ways to the future of our students and the program. With the increasing cost of higher education students are finding it increasingly difficult to pay for college,” McNealy said. “Through Dan’s generosity, students will find an additional means of financial support for their education.”
McNealy said Garrett’s donation will allow students to attend the national convention to present research and to experience the profession at a national level.
“With his generous gift, students will also be able to enroll in a global clinical experience providing services to a deaf school and an autism school in Jamaica,” McNealy said. “These types of educational experiences are costly, and are in addition to budgeted tuition and textbook costs, so often students are not able to participate.”
Lindsey Miller, a graduate student in the department, is one of the individuals who has already benefited from Garrett’s contribution. Miller said she hopes the community will attend Friday’s ceremony in hopes that Garrett’s spirit of giving will inspire other alumni to support her fellow students in their aspirations to become speech-language pathologists.
“The Jamaica trip and ASHA convention were amazing learning experiences for me. They provided me the opportunity to put into practice what I have been learning under academic instruction,” Miller said. “Overall, I feel that these extracurricular experiences have prepared me to become a well-rounded and educated professional in the world of speech language pathology and it wouldn’t be possible without help from people like Dan Garrett.”
Following the check presentation at Foundation Hall, a “Meet and Greet” with Dan Garrett will be held at the Department of Communication Disorders in Smith Hall Room 143. Marshall students and community members are welcome to attend for light refreshments.
To learn more about the Department of Communication Disorders, visit www.marshall.edu/cohp online. For more information on how to make financial gifts to contribute toward student scholarships, contact McNealy at mcnealy@marshall.edu.
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Photo: Dan Garrett received his Master of Arts in Speech Therapy in 1972 from Marshall University.