Campus

A Gift of Gratitude and Appreciation

Richard Sandberg

Following a visit to campus a few years ago, Richard Sandberg decided to make a gift that will impact our students for generations to come.

Richard Sandberg '72 grew up on a farm in southwestern Minnesota. An hour's drive north was a place that would set him on a path he's proud to have taken.

After two years of service in the Army, Richard's degree in economics and sociology led him to a more than 30-year career in human resources positions within the federal government. Now, retired more than a decade, Richard says it's time to give back.

Many things inspired his gift to the University of Minnesota Morris, he says, but the trigger was a return visit to campus just a few years ago. "I was really overwhelmed with how beautiful it was, and it brought back so many memories ... of gratitude and appreciation—for getting my adult life off to a good start. Morris had a lot of involvement in that," says Richard. "It [also] made me reflect that I'm not so young anymore, and it's time to make a difference."

Richard's gift is unrestricted (which means the University can use it at its discretion and where the need is greatest), because, he says, he simply couldn't pick just one thing.

"I hope some of it helps young people who are like I was and gives them the opportunities that I had. Tuition no longer costs $98 per quarter," he laughs. "Education funding is tighter than it used to be, and Morris really does a great deal to support young people who might otherwise have a tough time [affording] college."

One of his favorite memories at Morris, says Richard, was simply living in the dorm for four years. There, he says, "I met and interacted with so many students, from so many different backgrounds. I remember going off to school as kind of a naive farm kid who hadn't been exposed to too much of the big world. It was just a wonderful time."

Make a Difference at UMN Morris

You, like Richard, can ensure students who desire a UMN Morris education can receive one. Contact Susan Schmidgall, CDO, at 320-589-6160 or sschmidg@morris.umn.edu to learn more.

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