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Daniel and Margaret Porth are active people, not content to just sit on the sidelines. So last year, when the opportunity came, they readily joined a new OSU initiative, one with a strong personal connection.<\/p>\nDaniel and Margaret Porth are active people, not content to just sit on the sidelines. So last year, when the opportunity came, they readily joined a new OSU initiative, one with a strong personal connection.<\/p>\n
Proud parents of an Honors College senior, the Porths participated in the college\u2019s inaugural Parent Leadership Circle.<\/p>\n
\u201cJust seeing our son\u2019s experience and wanting to give back\u201d prompted the couple to get involved, Margaret said. \u201cAnyway I can be of support to somebody, I\u2019m happy to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n
A 1981 OSU alumnus and a partner in a Salem accounting firm, Daniel described the leadership group\u2019s first year as a \u201ctrial run.\u201d Members met with college staff and brainstormed ways to serve as a resource for parents of Honors students.<\/p>\n
\u201cA lot of it was laying the groundwork to provide direction for future years,\u201d Daniel said. \u201cThey\u2019re addressing the whole family, not just the student.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Porths exemplify the ways that many OSU President\u2019s Circle members contribute to the university beyond their financial gifts. The expertise and experience they offer are also valuable assets.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an idea that\u2019s receiving increasing attention across campus. This fall the OSU Division of Student Affairs and the OSU Foundation launched a university-wide Parent Leadership Council<\/a>. Additional volunteer opportunities for university supporters are in the works.<\/p>\n Meanwhile, this fall the Honors College moved into its new home in the Learning Innovation Center<\/a>\u00a0and celebrated its 20th anniversary<\/a>. And the Porths\u2019 son, Lane, took his newly-minted Honors degree in chemical engineering to Durham, North Carolina, where he works for Cree, a manufacturer of LED materials and devices.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re really grateful for the active engagement and leadership of President\u2019s Circle members like the Porths,\u201d said Susie Brubaker-Cole, OSU Vice Provost for Student Affairs. \u201cThis is what parents at a great university do. And seeing their son graduate and get off to such a great start with his career is exactly we want for all our students. President\u2019s Circle members help make that happen.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n