When Jason Zygadlo, ’02, sat down with his family to make a will, he knew he wanted to include a planned gift to support Kent State University students as part of his estate plan.
“When I was a student, I was always worried about money,” Jason said. “If I can help offset those costs for a student, maybe they can achieve a better GPA or have a better college experience than they would have otherwise. I bet on myself, and now, I want to bet on the next student.”
Jason’s wife, Chelsea, is an attorney, and the two of them talked about the importance of having plans in place in case anything happens, especially for their children. In 2019, he was diagnosed with cancer. That fight also played a role in their decision to set up a will that both provides for their family and supports the causes that mean the most to them, including Kent State, the Alpha Tau Omega fraternity, childhood cancer and Jason’s own nonprofit organization, ZiggyStrong.
They knew that making a will was just one step. They also needed to document their plans with the university and the other organizations they plan to support so that they know where to direct the gift.
With a bequest, they chose to create the Jason Zygadlo Leadership and Business Scholarship. This scholarship will support students in the Ambassador Crawford College of Business and Entrepreneurship who are studying sales or marketing and are engaged in student leadership roles.
As a student, Jason was extremely involved on campus. He worked as a resident assistant and a tour guide to support his education. He also served as a Kent Student Ambassador and president of Alpha Tau Omega. He was even a member of the 2001 Homecoming Court. Over the years, his love for Kent State has never faded. It even led him to join the Kent State Alumni Association National Board of Directors.
“Kent State means a lot to me,” Jason said. “I love going back and driving through Kent because so many great memories start circulating in my mind. That phase of my life was indescribable.”
After graduating from Brunswick High School in Brunswick, Ohio, in 1997, Jason decided to attend a community college before transferring to Kent State. His parents had tried to encourage him to get a full-time job after high school like many of his classmates, but he was determined to get a college degree.
At Kent State, Jason took advantage of every extracurricular opportunity he could, and these experiences helped him hone his leadership skills, build confidence and develop a professional presence. As a Kent Student Ambassador, he learned how to interact with business professionals, government leaders, alumni, donors and university leadership, and that has served him well in his professional life, especially in his first full-time job in pharmaceutical sales. Now, he owns build.your.own.brand., a company he founded to help organizations and individuals stand out in their careers.
“I started out as a lost, first-generation college student who didn’t know how to navigate college,” Jason explained. “Kent State gave me a platform to find myself and learn. It was such a special and meaningful experience for me. Why would I not give back?”
To learn how you can make an impact and leave a legacy while supporting something you believe in, please contact us at giftplan@kent.edu or 330-672-1000, or visit www.kent.edu/planned-giving.
