The Ripple Effects of Consistent Giving

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HONORING OUR 2025 FOUNDERS AWARD WINNERS

Barbara Payne Shelton ’70 and Gordon Shelton ’68 were both attending graduate school in the 1970s, living mostly off Barbara’s stipend, when they were approached for the first time by staff at McDaniel College about making a gift to the annual fund.

“At the time, we were spending about $15 per week on groceries, so a $25 gift was fairly substantial for us at that point in our lives,” Barbara says about the first gift they made to their alma mater. “We haven’t missed a year of giving since.”

While they have long since made the transition from annual giving to major gifts, the Sheltons — the recipients of the 2025 Founders Award — are proof that what may seem like small gifts can add up over time.

“We were honored to be recognized as this year’s Founders Award winners, but we did think twice about accepting the honor,” Barbara says. “Ultimately, we thought that maybe it would motivate some of our peers and friends to give more to the college.”

And the Sheltons know that while all alumni may not be able to give at the Founders Society level, they reinforce that every gift — of time, talent, or treasure — has the potential to change a student’s life.

“One of the things that has always made me want to give back to the college is because it gave so much to me.”— Barbara Shelton ’70

“You never know when you’re going to bump into somebody who might be interested in the college or might have money that they’re looking to donate somewhere,” Barbara says. “I can’t tell you how often my McDaniel tag on my car has started conversations with prospective students and their families.”

The motivation behind the Sheltons’ decades-long giving track record? “If you enjoy something, let it show,” says Gordon. “It will in turn nourish you as well. Barbara and I both have a variety of educational experience, but McDaniel was the best by a mile.”

Both Sheltons say the community they found on the Hill is a major contributor to their continued engagement with the college. Gordon has been a volunteer class reporter for The Hill magazine since 1975, and anyone who has read his Class of 1968 column knows the lore of The Crab Guys. Each month, a group of about 10 (or more) classmates from the late 1960s and early 1970s get together to catch up over crabs and Natty Bohs.

“Forming small groups and staying connected with classmates over decades is so special and fun in this community,” Gordon says. “It encourages people to contribute and remember the good stuff.”

The future of McDaniel under the Reaching New Heights campaign is going to be bright. And we’re proud to play a role in that success. ”

GORDON SHELTON ’68

As for Barbara, she has been a member of the Round Robins since her first year on the Hill, when she met her lifelong best friends in McDaniel Hall. She was a founding member of the original McDaniel Women’s Leadership Network, which has recently been revitalized under President Julia Jasken’s leadership, and has served on the college’s Board of Trustees since 2009. “One of the things that has always made me want to give back to the college is because it gave so much to me,” she says.

Over six decades, the Sheltons have prioritized philanthropy to the college, but they have diversified their giving to many different causes on the Hill. From the McDaniel Women’s Leadership Network Endowed Scholarship Fund to The Shelton Adjunct Faculty Recognition Endowed Fund, one-off gifts to capital projects like the Roj Student Center and the Home on the Hill food pantry, or The Gordon ’68 and Barbara Payne ’70 Shelton Student Research Fund, their giving has touched students and faculty in myriad ways. But they say the gifts that have meant the most to them have been those designated for scholarships.

“A lot of our friends at the college were on scholarships, myself included, and it made us realize that there were a lot of people who couldn’t have the McDaniel opportunity if somebody didn’t help them,” Barbara says. “So, giving to the college — and especially to scholarships — is a way to pay it backward and pay it forward at the same time.”

“The future of McDaniel under the Reaching New Heights campaign is going to be bright,” Gordon says. “And we’re proud to play a role in that success.”

President Jasken presented Barbara Payne Shelton ’70 and Gordon Shelton ’68 with the 2025 Founders Award at the 2025 Founders Society Gala.

At the 2023 Scholarship Luncheon, Barbara Payne Shelton ’70 served on a panel alongside scholarship recipients Stephani Portillo ’23 and Destiny Edwards ’24.

Reaching New Heights Together

BY DEBBIE DALE SEIDEL ’84 & ETHAN SEIDEL

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We have both been connected to McDaniel College for decades — Ethan beginning in 1969 and Debbie in 1980. Throughout this time, we have seen McDaniel grow and evolve in so many ways.

Yet at its core, the essence that is McDaniel remains unchanged: The one constant over the decades has been the focus on our students.

As co-chairs of Reaching New Heights: The Campaign for McDaniel College, we are asking you to join us in helping to provide new generations of students with even more opportunities to succeed.

Over the years, we have had the great fortune to interact with McDaniel students in a multitude of settings — as advisors to student organizations, sororities, and fraternities; as coaches; as participants in the college band; and as career advisors, mentors, teachers, and more. We have learned firsthand how special McDaniel students are and how much higher our students can climb with the right support.

The impact we each have when we invest in the college goes far beyond providing a particular building, classroom, or laboratory. These gifts of time and treasure make the entire enterprise possible. Tuition alone cannot provide all the resources needed to deliver a top-quality, accessible education.

Your philanthropy and volunteerism are essential for McDaniel College to continue to thrive and be recognized for the variety and excellence of its programs and its ability to change the lives of its students — whether through experiential learning, supporting our distinguished faculty and staff, academic support services, intercollegiate athletics, or the vibrant extracurricular programming that makes students’ time on the Hill so special.

Each of us can do so many things during this campaign to support McDaniel. Whether that’s through philanthropy or volunteerism, we ask our community of alumni and friends to re-engage with McDaniel and provide the critical support needed for the college to reach new heights together.

As co-chairs of Reaching New Heights: The Campaign for McDaniel College, we are asking you to join us in helping to provide new generations of students with even more opportunities to succeed.

DEBBIE DALE SEIDEL ’84 & ETHAN SEIDEL

Co-Chairs of Reaching New Heights: The Campaign for McDaniel College

So many of our memories on the Hill revolve around the time we spent and the people we met here. The Alma Mater says it, but it’s true: “College ties can ne’er be broken.” The memories and relationships made in college stay with us forever. We are confident the Reaching New Heights campaign will help not only financially strengthen the college but also refresh and deepen these memories and relationships — and secure them for future generations of McDaniel students.

Debbie Dale Seidel ’84 And Ethan Seidel are the co-chairs of Reaching New Heights: The Campaign for McDaniel College. Debbie has been a member of the Board of Trustees since 2023 and was president of the Alumni Council from 2017-19. She was honored with the College Service Award in 2024. Ethan began working at McDaniel in 1969 as a professor and administrator before retiring in August 2021 as Professor Emeritus of Economics and Business Administration.

For Nine Women Known As The Round Robins, College Ties Can Ne’er Be Broken

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Since meeting in McDaniel Hall in 1966, the Round Robins have remained connected through the decades with monthly book club gatherings, weekly Zoom cocktail hours during the COVID-19 pandemic, and annual getaways. In April this year, they gathered once again to honor one of their own after the passing of Patricia Johnson “PJ” Krantz ’70.

The legacy of the Robins will continue here on the Hill through a generous bequest, including an endowed scholarship and Round Robins memorabilia to be placed in McDaniel Hall.

In addition, Krantz left an Itzchak Tarkey watercolor painting titled “Café Society” to the college. She was drawn to it because of the number of women in the painting: nine, the number of Round Robins in her friend group, which included Susan Robertson Cline ’70, Carol Harris Dietrich ’70, Sherry Swope Peck ’70, Jane Butterbaugh Shapiro ’70, Barbara Payne Shelton ’70, Karen Wagner Tegges ’70, Barbara Thomas ’70, and Sue Morales Yingling ’70, M.S. ’00.

“Every time I look at the painting, I think of eight wonderful women and cherish our friendship — this picture honors them,” Krantz wrote in her bequest intention in 2015.

“I think a lot of people take for granted the value of what they got at a small college like McDaniel,” says Trustee and Round Robin Barbara Payne Shelton ’70. “The lifelong friendships we formed at McDaniel are such a huge part of our lives.”

I think a lot of people take for granted the value of what they got at a small college like McDaniel. The lifelong friendships we formed at McDaniel are such a huge part of our lives. ”

BARBARA PAYNE SHELTON ’70
McDANIEL COLLEGE TRUSTEE

How Philanthropy Has Guided One Senior’s McDaniel Experience

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Nicki James ’26 at the 2025 Scholarship Luncheon
(l-r) Trustee Bruce Preston ’75, Nicki James ’26, Danielle Carter ’25, Dimitri Raush-Gernet ’27, President Julia Jasken. 

At just 21 years old, Nicki James ’26 has a resume that would rival many mid-career professionals when it comes to community involvement, both here on the Hill and in Westminster and Carroll County as a whole.

“Community engagement is important to me because I believe people are stronger together,” James says. “When we actively participate in our communities, from the Hill to Carroll County, we create meaningful connections that foster belonging and improve everyone’s quality of life.”

The senior who will complete her degree in Social Work in May says that there’s something special about knowing you belong somewhere and that others are invested in your success. Read more about her journey in her own words.

WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU INVOLVED IN HERE AT McDANIEL?

Dorsey Scholar, President’s Advisory Council of Students, Honors Program, Student Government Association, Maryland Student Legislature, Honor and Conduct Board, the Center for Experience and Opportunity’s International Programs/Study Abroad, Trumpeters, Admissions Student Ambassador, McDaniel Women’s Leadership Network, Barbell Club, and Readers’ Roundtable.

WHAT ORGANIZATIONS ARE YOU INVOLVED WITH OUTSIDE OF THE COLLEGE?

Rudolph Girls independent bookstore, Carroll County Democrats, The Arc of Carroll County, Carroll County Women’s Leadership Conference, Carroll County Arts Council, and Equal Justice Initiative.

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND A SENSE OF COMMUNITY BELONGING HERE ON THE HILL?

It sounds funny to answer a question about community by saying that I found community in showing up alone, but I did. I made it a point to get involved in as many things as I possibly could — even if it meant showing up by myself. And that’s where the best part happened. By showing up alone, I met people, tried new things, and found myself in a community based on genuine interest, curiosity, and connection. McDaniel’s size makes it the perfect environment to build multiple communities. In a lot of larger schools, community is formed within academic departments and majors. On the Hill, you definitely form a community within your major, but most professors and staff know students by name, even if they’re not in their department or major. Whether it’s in the new Learning Commons or at an event like Out of Darkness, McDaniel provides the perfectly sized space for small interactions that can turn into strong relationships.

WHAT IS THE BENEFIT OF THE McDANIEL WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP NETWORK TO CURRENT McDANIEL STUDENTS?

The greatest benefit of the Women’s Leadership Network is the way it has given me support that is specific to the issues women may experience in leadership roles. For example, at the Women’s Leadership Network event last fall, we gained practical skills for how to deal with imposter syndrome. In the spring, we learned about the importance of prioritizing our own health.

I take every chance I can to thank donors, because their generosity has allowed me to attend McDaniel and have life-changing opportunities before I have even graduated. I love being able to show donors that their gifts matter and change lives, and I hope I can make them proud with taking the opportunities they have made possible for me.“

NICKI JAMES ’26

AS A STUDENT, WHAT IS THE IMPORTANCE OF PHILANTHROPY AND DONORS TO THE McDANIEL EXPERIENCE?

I wouldn’t be at McDaniel or have had access to any of the opportunities and experiences I have had in college without the generosity of donors, especially through experiential learning grants. Events like the Scholarship Luncheon, Founders Day Reception, and the 1867 Challenge generate awareness of what’s possible through philanthropy. New things pop up on campus all the time, but when students aren’t aware that donors are the reason we have things like the Learning Commons @ Hoover Library, or a new track, or renovated offices, we take them for granted.

Last semester, I took a Social Work course where we learned about how nonprofit organizations function. We had the opportunity to hear from Vice President of Institutional Advancement Dave Sears, who explained how much work his staff does to fund everything from summer research to the new BSU Clubroom to scholarships to major renovations. That class opened my eyes to the importance of donors and fundraising.

WHAT DO YOU WISH YOUR PEERS KNEW ABOUT PHILANTHROPY?

I wish my peers had opportunities to learn about philanthropy from the business side of it, as well as the human side of it, because it would open their eyes. I take every chance I can to thank donors, because their generosity has allowed me to attend McDaniel and have life-changing opportunities before I have even graduated. I love being able to show donors that their gifts matter and change lives, and I hope I can make them proud with taking the opportunities they have made possible for me.

From Refugee to Green Terror for Life

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SANA ASKARI ’26 CREDITS McDANIEL’S ALUMNI WITH UPLIFTING FAMILIES AND GENERATIONS, STARTING WITH HER

Senior Sana Askari’s mother was not allowed to get an education, so each day at McDaniel, she is proud to honor her mother’s sacrifices by pursuing her own education. Askari grew up as a refugee from Afghanistan with few resources, and today, women in her home country lack access to education beyond sixth grade. Without being named a Dorsey Scholar, Askari may not have been able to change her family’s narrative.

Thanks to the financial and personal support of alumni and donors, Askari has found a true sense of belonging and started a new chapter for herself, her siblings, and women back home in Afghanistan. She shares her experiences — and the life-changing influence of McDaniel’s alumni network — in her own words.

HOW HAS PHILANTHROPY MADE YOUR McDANIEL EXPERIENCE POSSIBLE?

I grew up as a refugee with no resources, and today, women in my home country have no access to education beyond sixth grade. If it were not for the generosity of donors, I would not have been able to attend McDaniel and pursue my education. Having witnessed my mother struggle to raise her children as a refugee and seeing other refugee women suffer due to a lack of opportunities, I became determined to change my circumstances and create a path for my younger siblings to pursue education.

What I wish my peers and others better understood is that philanthropy, whether small or large, has the power to change lives. My life is living proof: this scholarship not only transformed my future but also opened doors for my younger sisters to pursue their education. The impact of philanthropy extends beyond individuals; it uplifts families and generations.

ASIDE FROM YOUR MENTORING RELATIONSHIP WITH NUPUR PAREKH FLYNN ’94 DURING THE INNOVATION AND ENTREPRENEURSHIP CHALLENGE, WHAT OTHER ALUMNI OR DONORS HAVE YOU INTERACTED WITH?

I had the privilege of meeting my scholarship donor, Mary Lynn Durham ’70, who is funding the Dorsey Scholarship. It felt very special to meet the person who is enabling me to get an education, especially during a time when women and girls in my country, Afghanistan, are not only barred from education but also stripped of their basic human rights. Knowing that someone who does not even know me believes in my potential and is supporting my education strengthened my commitment to continue empowering women through my company, Esheel.

HOW HAVE YOU FOUND A SENSE OF BELONGING HERE ON THE HILL?

McDaniel has been my home for the past three years. I arrived on campus with only two suitcases and a dream of pursuing an education. What I have found here is so much more than an education — I have found a true sense of belonging. I am surrounded by a community of people who consistently support me, whether it is staff members like Amanda Gelber or professors who never fail to root for my success. Their encouragement has made me feel seen, valued, and uplifted, and it reminds me every day that I am not alone in this journey.

I had the privilege of meeting my scholarship donor, Mary Lynn Durham ’70, who is funding the Dorsey Scholarship. It felt very special to meet the person who is enabling me to get an education, especially during a time when women and girls in my country, Afghanistan, are not only barred from education but also stripped of their basic human rights.“

SANA ASKARI ’26

WHAT IMPACT HAS THE ALUMNI NETWORK HAD ON YOUR EXPERIENCE AS A STUDENT AT McDANIEL SO FAR?

The alumni network has had a tremendous impact on my experience as a McDaniel student. The support I have received extends far beyond what words can fully capture. One special example is my relationship with Alex Ober ’63 and his wife, Jan Engle Ober ’73, who have truly become like family to me. I first met them at an Alumni Association dinner, and from that moment, we developed a meaningful relationship.

Living alone and far from my family, I often face challenges that go beyond academics, such as moving between dorms and summer housing. Alex and Jan have always been there for me — helping me transport my belongings and making sure I never felt alone. Their kindness and generosity are a reflection of the alumni network’s impact, which reaches well beyond professional connections and directly touches students’ lives in deeply personal ways.

WHAT DO YOU ENVISION WHEN YOU THINK OF McDANIEL COLLEGE REACHING NEW HEIGHTS AS AN INSTITUTION?

I envision McDaniel as an institution that continues to change lives and open doors for students like me, enabling them to pursue their dreams and make a meaningful impact in their communities. The opportunities McDaniel has given me have not only transformed my own life but also the lives of my younger siblings and the students I have mentored over the past three years — students who have gone on to create positive change in their communities. This is the kind of far-reaching impact I see McDaniel achieving in the future.