New SLPA Endowment Honors Shawn Gearing

The School of Leadership and Professional Advancement (SLPA) has announced the creation of an endowed memorial fund in honor of Shawn Gearing, a former academic advisor at the University.

The Shawn Gearing Memorial Fund will be used to assist SLPA students in securing text books and other educational resources.

Gearing, who passed away in 2009, is remembered by former students and colleagues as having understood the financial hardships faced by those trying to better their lives through education—conditions that are often magnified by current economic challenges.

The goal is to grow the endowment—which was established at $25,000 as a resource fund—to $50,000, then convert it to a scholarship fund capable of helping students in financial need.

“This is a great testament to what Shawn Gearing meant to this school and its students,” said Dr. Dorothy Bassett, dean of SLPA. “It truly demonstrates the strength of our community and our commitment to one another.”