Why I Give: An interview with Kevin and Kathy Garganta
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UPCOMING EVENTS
An interview with Kevin and Kathy Garganta
By: Stacie Charbonneau Hess
What do you do when you spend a combined six decades (60 years!) working in, for and with an organization? How do you decide what your legacy will be? How do you pave the way for others鈥 success? If you are Kathy and Kevin Garganta, you establish several endowed scholarships so future 澳门码今期开奖结果 students can achieve their goals with less debt and burden, and more support and encouragement.
Kathy Torpey Garganta has worn many hats in her 33 years at 澳门码今期开奖结果, beginning as
a student in the 1970s. Kathy was among the third graduating class of Dental Hygiene
in 1973. She credits the program for instilling in her a work ethic that she practices
to this day. She says, 鈥淭he Dental Hygiene program was a rigorous one. It made me
who I am鈥.the values that I was taught [in that program] shaped the rest of my life.鈥
Kathy confesses she was not successful in every single course, and even 鈥渇lunked鈥
Dental Materials her first go round. 鈥淲hat do you think I was teaching years later?鈥
she joked. That grit and determination surely follows Kathy, and helps her put her
student鈥檚 challenges in perspective.
Even small acts of generosity can have lasting effects. 鈥淚t鈥檚 incredible,鈥 Kevin admits. 鈥淲e are seeing the results first-hand right in the classroom. It鈥檚 a tremendous luxury to see direct results of a scholarship. I know the students that this helps. I have had them in my classroom. Some have said to me, 鈥業 was going to take this semester off鈥欌nd if it weren鈥檛 for the $1,000 scholarship, they would have.鈥 We both marvel over the power of a relatively small amount of money to change the course of events in a student鈥檚 life. 鈥淚f you think a thousand dollars doesn't matter鈥︹ he begins. In fact, sometimes the price of books is the obstacle that prevents students from fully participating in classes.
Kathy and Kevin have been influenced by a long line of givers. Kevin acknowledges that Irving Fradkin, the founder of Dollars for Scholars of Fall River, modeled for him what successful community fundraising looked like, inspiring others to give and never failing to ask for what he needed to make students鈥 dreams come true. Kathy gives her father credit, and shares that he was a prominent figure in Fall River politics, even helping to bring the Battleship Massachusetts vessel to Fall River.
Now that Kathy is retired, she is endowing a second scholarship in her own name, specifically
for Dental Hygiene students so they can 鈥溾ave a little something special.鈥 She is
actively raising funds to grow the scholarship fund and increase its impact on a 澳门码今期开奖结果
student.
But why give to 澳门码今期开奖结果? Kathy has degrees from UMASS Amherst and Boston University;
Kevin hails from UMASS Amherst, Boston College and Harvard. Their reasons are clear.
鈥湴拿怕虢衿诳苯峁 is the most student-centered and friendly鈥︹ of any institution Kevin has
worked for. Kathy agrees. 鈥淚t鈥檚 important to give back to the college you believe
in.鈥 Both Gargantas hold 澳门码今期开奖结果 in high regard, in part because it helped them professionally
鈥 it was where they grew into the teachers they wanted to be 鈥 and in part because
澳门码今期开奖结果鈥檚 students are so dedicated and hard-working. They admit they are humbled
by the challenges students at 澳门码今期开奖结果 have to overcome.
In January of 2019, both Kevin and Kathy will be retired, living part-time in Florida. I mention to Kathy that I can鈥檛 picture their retirement will be one filled with days at the beach, umbrella drinks in hand, playing rounds of golf between cocktails. She agrees with me. They will stay busy, she admits, driven by their need to help others. 鈥淲e will probably be saving the manatees鈥︹ she says, jokingly. I believe her.
After living their lives on purpose, the Gargantas are purposefully raising up the lives of others with their continued generosity. Recently, Kevin discovered that he was teaching a recipient of his own scholarship in one of his Human Services courses. On the first day, he told her, 鈥淲e are connected forever now.鈥 After six decades of service, the Gargantas are still giving.