Inspiring Stories

Lellan "Mac" McFarland has had a love affair with airplanes and aviation for most of his life. He joined the Air Force right after high school in 1955, and served as a crew chief on F-86 Sabre jets for four years, before joining Warner Swazey as a machinist. Over many subsequent years, Mac went on to college and earned a B.S. in aeronautical engineering, an M.S. in mechanical engineering and eventually, an M.B.A from Kent State in 1980.

Sarah Mull loves animals. She's a zoology major, and her dream has always been to become a veterinarian. Thanks to the Dr. Harold R. Papiska Scholarship in Biological Science, she's one step closer to making that dream a reality.

Nancy Baird is probably one of the most enthusiastic supporters and believers in public radio you'll ever meet. She has been a member of WKSU since April 1997 when she moved to Ohio from Pennsylvania, has served as chair of the station's Community Advisory Council for several years, and has even hosted events for the station in her home. According to Nancy, it was only natural for her to make a planned gift to WKSU that will be used to fill the station's greatest needs.

Phil and Mary Lou Herbert were like many couples who grew up in Ashtabula after World War II. They met in high school, got married after Phil served in the Korean War, bought a house and went to work to build their dream - Phil as a chemist at General Tire (GenCorp) and Mary Lou an office manager for the Illuminating Company.
According to their friend and estate planner of more than 30 years, Stuart Cordell, they lived a quiet life, and were extremely devoted to each other. "Neither of them had a college degree," he says, "But they both believed that education was vitally important, and wanted to help students in Ashtabula County."

A faculty member at Kent State since 1995, David Kessler has had an insider's perspective on the unique needs of the university for many years. His wife, Audrey, also has been an active member of the community and an admirer of the music program at Kent State. The variety of passions they've pursued at the university led them to create four endowed planned gifts: a professorship and a speaker series in the new School of Peace and Conflict Studies, a professorship in forensics and a scholarship for oboe students.