The Importance of Affordable Education

Sharon Garton with Casey Lamle and Amelia Evensen

Buena Vista University Z.Z. White member Sharon Garton and her late husband, Gary Garton '62, have always valued the importance of education.

As retired educators, Sharon and Gary were concerned about young people who wanted to go to college but did not have the finances to do so. Sharon remembers Gary telling her about his own college experience when he found out tuition was going to increase $25 per year. "Gary had been worried he would not be able to continue with his education. Even though it was a struggle for him to pay for his classes, he did continue with his education and graduated from BV," Sharon says.

To help future BVU students afford college, Sharon and Gary decided to establish the Gary and Sharon Garton Scholarship. Sharon has also made provisions in her estate plan for continued support of the scholarship. "The students are always genuine and hard working. I am thrilled they are going into the profession of teaching science," stated Sharon.

A quote by Winston Churchill, one of Sharon's favorites, describes her commitment to giving back: "We make a living by what we get. We make a life by what we give."

Help BVU Students Today

Contact Matt Astleford ’02, MBA, CFRE at 712.749.2648 or support@bvu.edu to learn about gifts that offer you an opportunity to help BVU students afford college.