Donors and Alumni Support Student Success, Encourage Culture of Care
Alumni Jeffrey Spears and Heidi Nimmo found more than their purpose at Cal Poly Pomona. They also found each other.
The married couple met as residents of the old brick Encinitas Hall. Now, 46 years after graduation, the pair have two adult children, have grown their family business and served as volunteers in their community.
However, they wanted to do more. Spears (’78, accounting) and Nimmo (’78, foods and nutrition) wanted to find a way to give back to the alma mater that brought them together and helped them achieve their dreams of success. So, in December 2023, they established The Heidi Nimmo and Jeffrey Spears Educational Access Endowed Scholarship.
“We had an opportunity to do something significant for a student in providing a renewable scholarship for up to five years covering tuition, fees and room and board,” said Nimmo. “We wanted to recipient to be able to complete their degree and didn’t want to limit it to a specific major.”
Spears, the recently retired CEO of Inland Waterworks Supply Co., a San Bernardino-based business that his grandfather founded in 1952, said they wanted to ensure that the scholarship, which is renewable for five years, has a big impact on the recipient.
“In making the scholarship renewable, we wanted a Cal Poly Pomona student to be able to finish their degree,” Spears said, adding that “Cal Poly Pomona’s educational learn-by-doing approach continues to serve both of us to this day.”
Nimmo and Spears hope that this scholarship will not only provide a CPP college education, but also plant the seed for whomever receives the scholarship to consider providing a similar opportunity should they be able to do so.
A Celebration of Support
Cal Poly Pomona recently recognized Spears, Nimmo and other donors for their commitment and dedication to the university at the Celebration of Support reception on March 12 at Kellogg West.
Frances Teves, vice president for University Advancement, led the program that recognized the donors who are members of the President’s Circle for providing gifts of $2,500 or more annually and members of the Kellogg Voorhis Legacy Society who pledged gifts by bequest or through their estates. The President’s Circle has 250 households as members and the Kellogg Voorhis Legacy Society more than 124 members.
The celebration event also included recognition of the newest members of the Founders’ Society, individuals and organizations that have contributed lifetime gifts of $250,000 or more. New members include Nimmo, Spears, alumna Michele Gendreau (’83, hospitality management), Fairplex, In-N-Out Burger, speaker and writer Greg Patterson, as well as University President Soraya M. Coley and her husband Ron Coley. The Founders’ Society has 131 members. Through gifts large and small, donors provide students with access to transformative PolyX experiences such as the Rose Float and internships, as well as support programs like the CARE Center, Veterans Resource Center and Renaissance Scholars, President Coley said.
“As our most significant contributors, each of you are our partners in creating pathways for students to be successful,” Coley said, “not only here in college, but equally important, after they go across the Commencement stage with futures filled with new opportunities. Our students graduate and go on to succeed because of you.”
The Impact of Giving
Christian Solis, a graduating music performance student, was one of the recipients of the 2023-24 President’s Scholars awards, which includes a $3,500 scholarship, funds made possible with donor support.
Solis, who is from Costa Rica, shared that he was attending three universities and had three majors in his native country. He balanced school with taking care of his late grandmother, who was terminally ill with cancer at the time. He had a music teacher who encouraged him to apply to programs at universities in the United States.
Cal Poly Pomona offered Solis with the best opportunity to come to the United States, providing an out-of-state tuition waiver to help make it more affordable. He also received scholarships from the university.
“If it wasn’t for scholarships, my parents would have had to decide which one of their kids would not be able to study music,” Solis said. “Your support matters.”
Melvin Gitbumrungsin, a junior computer science student and president of the 100-member CPP Game Development Club, attended the reception and talked with guests about their future aspirations.
Donors are key to opening up opportunities for students, Gitbumrungsin said.
“Their support gives us more access to research, education resources and facilities on campus. That makes for a better experience for us as students,” he said. “It helps us, and we get a better education.”
Paying it Forward
Michele Gendreau has long believed in the importance of giving back.
As director of food and beverage at the Disneyland Resort, which is part of the experience development and integration team, she has remained closely involved on campus. She sits on The Collins College Board of Advisors, chairs the Cal Poly Pomona Philanthropic Board’s development committee and serves as a board member on the Cal Poly Rose Float Alumni Association.
Gendreau said her continued involvement is a way to show her appreciation for the educational and extracurricular opportunities she received as a student at Cal Poly Pomona. In 2022, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Cal Poly Pomona Alumni Association.
“People should be giving back in a way that fuels your passion,” she said. “Cal Poly Pomona made me who I am today. It has given me the presence of being valued and valuable within my industry. I would not be an executive with Disney without taking this path.”
Your Support Makes a Difference
Cal Poly Pomona’s PolyX learning opportunities are supported by the philanthropy of thousands of donors, who help fund scholarships, labs and facilities, educational experiences, faculty scholarship, student support resources, and more.
During this year’s annual Giving Day on April 17 and 18, our entire CPP community has an opportunity to make an impact through donations. Your investment in student success during Giving Day transforms the lives of Broncos, and the impact will ripple across their communities. Learn more about Giving Day.
