Gifts in Action
All gifts, large and small, make a difference to the quality of leadership education at the University of Illinois. Every gift made to the Illinois Leadership Center goes directly to cover the cost of programming and educational initiatives. Here are a few examples of gifts that have changed the lives of Illinois students.
Sowing Seeds for the Future
Tony Petullo ('61)
With fond memories of his time spent at Illinois, Tony Petullo
('61) generously made the largest outright gift ever received by Student Affairs
at the University of Illinois, which was used as the seed funding necessary to
establish the first programs and initiatives in the Leadership Program, including
its first I-programs. Shares Tony, "Leadership has always been a favorite
of mine, and when I heard about this program Illinois Leadership® and the fact
that so many students could be involved and that it was open to everyone, I knew
my decision was made. You don't have to be the best student and you don't have
to be one of the handful of student leaders on campus in order to participate-that's
what attracted me. There's equality and it's an opportunity for all to be involved,
particularly through collaboration with the colleges."
While a student at Illinois, Tony was a four-year member of the Men's Glee Club and served as senior-year president. He toured Europe with the Club as a freshman and organized another European tour as a senior. In addition, he was involved in the Marketing Club and the Alpha Sigma Phi social fraternity.
Employing Ingenuity
John Graf ('81)
John A. Graf graduated from the University of Illinois in 1981 with a Bachelor
Degree in Economics. A very generous gift from John and his wife, Maureen, created
the Graf Internship Program for the Illinois Leadership® Center, which is now
one of the most competitive internship programs on campus. Each year, a small
group of undergraduates are employed at the Leadership Center, helping coordinate
the same leadership programs in which they participated in the past. While at
the University, John was involved in the Student Alumni Association, served on
the Student Organization Resource Fee Board, and was a Student Government Officer,
Volunteer Illini Projects Chairman, a Fraternity Brother in Delta Upsilon, and
a Mortar Board and Senior 100 honoree.
A Thirst For Knowledge
Richard Cavenaugh ('82)
Rick graduated from the University of Illinois in 1982 with a degree in Civil
Engineering. Along with several other gifts to the University and leadership
programs in general, a generous gift of his has endowed the Cavenaugh Leadership
Resource Library. As a student Rick was involved in many activities, serving
as President of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and as a member of the
Student Senate, SORF Board, Chi Epsilon and Volunteer Illini Projects.
Expanding the Landscape
Caterpillar, Inc.
As a result of a generous gift received from the Caterpillar Foundation in 2009,
the Leadership Center was able to build upon and expand its core services to
Illinois students. The curriculum of its I-programs were updated and modified
to better incorporate technology and other innovative teaching methods, while
the Center was also able to begin offering a free evening workshop and speaker
series. This series has incorporated alumni and distinguished societal leaders
(such as Chris Gardner, author of The Pursuit of Happyness) into a continuing
succession of opportunities for busy students.
An Annual Rite
Chris Dillion ('99)
As a highly involved undergraduate soon to be employed himself, Chris Dillion
understood the necessity of learning leadership through structured programs.
Chris regularly contributes to the Annual Fund, which directly supports programming
for students within the Leadership Center. Chris shares, "I've found students
involved with the Illinois Leadership Center to be bright, engaged and inquisitive.
They recognize their personal strengths, understand their personal leadership
style and have developed the interpersonal skills necessary to succeed in a variety
of disciplines. These skills are invaluable and set Illinois Leadership Center
participants apart from their peers — on campus and beyond."
