Giving Back is Part of the Kublys' Plan
More than a number. That's the reason Andrew and Janet "Foltz" Kubly decided to attend SDSU instead of larger universities in their home states of Minnesota and Iowa.
It proved to be the right decision for the mechanical engineer and pharmacist.
As SDSU students, both were actively involved in extra-curricular campus activities. Andrew served as Student Association Financial Chair and Senator for the College of Engineering, as well as Chapter President of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Janet served as Student Association Senator for the College of Pharmacy and was actively involved in the University Lutheran Center, serving as a peer minister and helping organize several mission trips.
While academic achievement and high grade point averages were important to their areas of study and future, the couple agree involvement outside of class was equally important to their career success. This belief is reflected in the Kubly Excel Through Involvement Scholarship. They began funding the scholarship in 1997, the year Andrew graduated.
"As a student, leadership and involvement in an organization lays a foundation for future growth. The sooner you can take advantage of leadership experiences, the more you learn and grow," explained Andrew, the CFO of HRST Inc., a Minnesota-based company that provides power plant boiler technical service and products.
Their scholarship supports mechanical engineering and pharmacy students who are involved in non-major related activities.
"It's our philosophy that grades are not the most important thing," explained Andrew, who credits the Briggs Scholarship with his ability to graduate debt-free.
"We wanted to create something that would encourage students to get involved early in their college experience," added Janet, the pharmacy supervisor for Pediatric Critical Care at the University of Minnesota Masonic Children's Hospital.
Janet explained that in addition to leadership and communication skills, her involvement in the University Lutheran Center impacted her philosophy on giving back. "It really shaped my worldview and contributed to my goal of being generous."
To ensure the scholarship would live on after they are gone, the couple made SDSU an heir of their estate. "Because we both benefited from scholarships, our scholarship is an important way for us to give back," Janet said.
Even though the couple is only in their 40s, because they started giving back right out of college, their scholarship fund has grown to provide two scholarships annually. "It is satisfying to get to this point. This was our initial goal, to have the scholarship support students from both colleges each year," Janet said.
In fact, since the start of their professional careers, giving back has been part of their monthly budget.
"We have a future-orientated mindset when it comes to giving. Before we spend money on anything else, we save for retirement and we save for giving," said Andrew of the money set aside each month for their church and SDSU.
As parents, the Kublys enjoy sharing their enthusiasm for giving with their children, Joseph and Avery. "I love getting notes from students sharing how the scholarship impacted them and how they appreciate the support of the funds," Janet said.
Not wanting to draw attention to themselves as donors, the couple waited several years before they discussed their estate plan with the Gift Planning team. However, after meeting with Gift Planning Officer Ned Gavlick, Andrew said they can rest assured their intent is protected.
"Even though our will specifies how we want the estate funds allocated, after our discussion with Ned, we know our wishes will be carried out without confusion when a check arrives from the Kubly Estate. The SDSU Foundation knows exactly where we want our gift to go."