Mr. B.J. Davisson, II '81 & Mrs. Krista McGowan Davisson '82

Why We Give
(Published 2009) My wife, Krista McGowan Davisson ’82, and I became Frostburg students in the late ’70s, bringing with us our intellectual capabilities, a disciplined work ethic and a desire to get ahead. We knew that you get out of life what you put into it, and we found administrators, staff and faculty who provided the right balance of challenge and support for our success. When Frostburg asked for our help as we began our careers, we tried to be available. We supported the Alumni Association and the Annual Fund early on, and my involvement in the Alumni Association grew – I was president in 1996. Through my career in higher education, I had developed an uncommon appreciation for both the challenges of financing college and the transforming power of a degree. The time came for Krista and me to show gratitude for what Frostburg gave us. Our thanks was a gift – our first significant one – of $10,000 for an endowed scholarship with a preference to students from our hometown region. The decision was easy. As students, we benefited from government aid, more plentiful at the time, and scholarships or sponsored aid programs. Like many classmates, we couldn’t have managed without help. Fast forward to 2007: I’m driving to my new job leading the FSU Foundation, University Advancement and Communications and Media Relations. Thirty years prior I was headed to summer planning as a freshman. Krista and I decided together that I would return to my alma mater, just as together we chose to ramp up our philanthropic support of our University. In addition to support through our wills, we committed $25,000 to the Campaign. Most will support Student Enrichment, particularly to build our scholarship fund, with support also to Academic Enrichment, Regional and Cultural Enrichment and FSU’s unrestricted Annual Fund. We have remained involved with FSU students since our own Frostburg days through Career Day and student leadership conferences, and we enjoy hearing from students who have benefited from our fund. We have been so impressed with the caliber of these young people. It is Frostburg’s students who motivate and inspire us to continue. Krista’s and my parents instilled in us the notion of giving to others. Saying “no” to an organization we care about is just not in our world view. As we get older, we grow wiser, and we start to think about the people, places and organizations that have touched our lives. If you have not been asked to support the University in a compelling manner, your alma mater is asking now: Please, reflect upon the foundation Frostburg provided you, and express your thanks in accordance with your financial capacity.