Lindsay Maynard Richardson

Then…

As a high school student, Lindsay Maynard Richardson knew that academic excellence was her path to higher education and a solid career. Lindsay grew up in Marlette, where her dad was a farmer. Because the family’s income varied from year to year, Lindsay and her twin sister, Allison, knew they would need to find scholarship funding for college. Thanks to their academic success, both Lindsay and Allison earned substantial scholarships from SVSU.

“The scholarships I received are literally the only reason I was able to attend college. As a first-generation college student and the daughter of a farmer, my options were limited. Well, there were basically no options other than to get a scholarship.”

SVSU proved to be a good choice for Lindsay, providing her with opportunities to build skills both in and out of the classroom.

She quickly got involved on campus, eventually holding leadership roles with Alternative Breaks, Valley Nights and Program Board, the dodgeball club and Habitat for Humanity.  She even served as Coop (the SVSU Cardinal mascot) her senior year.

“These experiences helped me grow and explore my character, my strengths and my weaknesses. My time at SVSU truly shaped who I am today.”

Now…

A chance connection set Lindsay on a career path she never knew even existed.

Lindsay recalled, “I went to Jeremy Bockelman (former assistant director of Career Services) because I wanted resume help and was looking into doing an internship for course credit. Jeremy said, ‘You’re from Marlette. I know a guy there; he works at a nonprofit and could definitely use an intern this summer.’ Funny, Jeremy probably has no idea how he impacted my life.”

Following that summer internship Lindsay was able to get a paid internship at the Saginaw Community Foundation. Her internship experience and on-campus work with SVSU’s Office of Student Life ultimately led to a position as an annual giving coordinator at another small university in Michigan.

When it was time to move back to the Great Lakes Bay Region, Lindsay and her husband looked for a community where they could develop roots. They settled in Frankenmuth.  She also landed a position at the Bay Area Women’s Center in Bay City, where she serves as the director of development.

“That’s everything fundraising. It’s annual giving; it’s major giving; it’s special events; it’s social media; it’s all of our marketing materials. I’m not just doing donor development; I’m also doing brand imaging and that sort of work.”

Forever…

Lindsay’s story illustrates the transformational power of donor-funded scholarships to provide access to a college education for motivated students. Thanks to scholarships that led her to SVSU and gave her the freedom to explore opportunities, Lindsay is succeeding in a fulfilling career, making a difference through volunteer work and building a family.

Lindsay is among the hundreds of alumni who support SVSU and our students with her time and money.  She not only faithfully donates to various student needs, but also volunteers for events and leadership roles.  She will soon complete her term as president of the Alumni Board.

“Receiving a scholarship showed me that there are people in this world who want to see others succeed.  It means a lot that people wanted to invest in me and my future. I want to do the same for today’s SVSU students.”

Stand with other generous donors so SVSU Cardinals can stand out.

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