Most people don’t like, or want, to think about what happens after death. It’s a taboo topic that causes even the most logical people to freeze and “knock on wood.” For some people, though, they have already begun to think about what they want to leave behind when they eventually depart from this world.
The Society of 1895 is a group designated for those who decide to include Wichita State into their estate plans — the plan for their money after they die. Members are allowed to choose exactly where and how their money is spent.
David Ramos, a Wichita State alum of the School of Nursing, not only decided to give his time to the university by volunteering as a member of the Dean’s Advisory Council for the College of Health Professions, but he also decided in 2020 to create a planned gift for WSU.
“I always knew I would come back and give to them because they were the cornerstone of me getting into nursing and medical fields,” Ramos said. “And I believed in my heart, that’s how they gave me a leg up … It’s coming full circle.”
When Ramos’ gift is realized, it will go toward a scholarship for nursing students who show financial need. He created it in honor of his brother, Richard Ramos. Richard won the Prestigious Magnet Nurse of the Year Award in 2021, but David said he was always planning to name the scholarship after him.
Ramos said the award was “just the cherry on top.”
Communication alumna Lynette Murphy, who now works as the senior director for development for the Fairmount College of Liberal Arts and Sciences, created a planned gift in 2021 that will support the same school she used to attend: the Elliott School of Communication.
“I really believe in the mission of the Elliott School,” Murphy said. “… I just wanted to make sure that when I’m gone, there’s some of the funding that’s left behind to do whatever it is that the Elliott School needs to continue to educate great students.”
Murphy said that she feels people can make a larger difference for the university philanthropically once they’re gone rather than when they are living, and that a lot of people tend to have resources at the end that they did not expect. Even though she said her gift isn’t a large one, it’s enough to make her feel like she’s doing something meaningful.
“It’s not going to be a million dollars by any means, but I feel like I’m in some way contributing to the future education of students,” Murphy said. “Even though it might be small, it’s going to be combined with other money that people have given because of their love of the Elliott School and I love that feeling that it’s kind of not just me.”
While Murphy’s legacy gift is going to a general purpose, alumna Jessica Stitt has a specific place in mind for her money based on her own experiences on campus.
“I would like for there to be a way that my funds that I’m giving can be designated for STEM individuals that want to study foreign language,” Stitt said. “… (Because) I had the opportunity to actually do the Puebla (Summer) Program and go study in Mexico … at the same time as I’m studying engineering, I’m seeing the benefits of the fact that somebody multilingual could have within the world of engineering that they don’t really talk about.”
Stitt said she was inspired by a scholarship won during her time in college — the Wallace Scholarship. She was in college when the creator of the scholarship, Velma Wallace, was alive and Stitt said Wallace gave more than just money each semester.
“(Wallace) was always (available) if you wanted to go to lunch with her or if you wanted to just visit with her,” Stitt said. “… She loved to do that. She loved to know how her kids were, that she supported and that she was a part of our lives. And I think that really struck a chord with me. This woman did not just give her money to help others; she gave her time.”
Stitt said she would love to be like Wallace and give her money and time while she’s alive, but giving through her estate plan is just as amazing.
More information about Wichita State’s estate plan is at the Foundation and Alumni Engagement website.
“Ultimately, it comes down to personally, ‘What do you want to do?’” Stitt said about donating. “But if you’re in, if you are truly on the fence and you have no idea, my question is ‘Why not? What’s stopping you?’”
