New Scholarship And Expansion Gifts Totaling $425,000 Support HPU's Continued Growth
Dawn and Tom Martel, parents of three students, are supporting the continued transformation HPU’s campus with a $75,000 gift.
HIGH POINT, N.C., April 24, 2018 – Six families are investing a total of $425,000 in High Point University’s mission to educate the hearts and minds of students. These families have established endowed scholarship funds and made gifts that support HPU’s continuous campus transformation.
The following families, who hail from five different states, have contributed:
Mike and Eileen Sapraicone of Upper Brookville, New York, have given $100,000 to establish a new HPU scholarship fund. The Sapraicone Family Endowed Scholarship will support students wishing to attend HPU.
The Sapraicones have previously contributed more than $50,000 in annual scholarships, which have already been presented to HPU students.
Eileen Sapraicone is a New York State Family Court Judge. Mike Sapraicone is founder and owner of Squad Security, a global security company. Established in 1992, Squad Security offers security and investigative solutions to multinational clients. Honesty and integrity is the cornerstone of the company’s values, much like the values of HPU.
“High Point offers a curriculum that provides our daughters with the means to not only succeed in their respective careers, but to be well-grounded individuals who appreciate that personal integrity is the key to professional success,” says Mike Sapraicone. “We want to ensure that others are afforded the same opportunity by providing a scholarship to this great university.”
The Sapraicones enjoy coming to campus to visit their daughters, Ashley and Vicky, and to participate in HPU events.
Bob and Lynda Engel, of Castle Rock, Colorado, made a six-figure gift to support the university’s continued growth.
Bob Engel was president and CEO of CoBank, a $128 billion national bank serving vital industries across rural America, before retiring in 2017. Bob and Lynda are involved in the Denver community in both philanthropic and business ventures with a focus on education. Bob is the chairman of the Board of Trustees at Regis University and also serves Niagara University as a trustee.
During his career as a businessman, Bob developed a relationship with HPU President Nido Qubein, and the Engel family came to strongly believe in HPU’s mission and approach to education. Their son, Tyler Engel, went on to graduate cum laude from HPU in 2016 with an accounting degree. Today, Tyler works for Deloitte, one of the world’s largest audit, consulting, tax and advisory services firms.
The Engel family has demonstrated significant interest in HPU and has previously supported the HPU Men’s Golf Team, on which Tyler was a team member.
The Engel Initiative Conference Room in Cottrell Hall is named in honor of the family’s success in business and their deep interest in the future of higher education.
“I have long admired President Qubein’s leadership after knowing him personally and professionally for many years,” says Bob Engel. “HPU is growing in phenomenal ways while raising the bar on excellence in education. Our family is honored to invest in a transformational university that has and will continue to benefit the lives of HPU graduates.”
Dawn and Tom Martel, parents of three students, are supporting the continued transformation HPU’s campus with a $75,000 gift.
Tom Martel is a Regional President with Cigna Corporation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration. Both Tom and Dawn, of Hingham, Massachusetts, have dedicated time to supporting both community and regional charitable causes. Their children are Spencer, Myles and Hillary Martel.
“All three of our children have attended High Point University, where two have graduated and one is currently a senior,” says Tom Martel. “We have been extremely pleased with the caliber of education each received and appreciate the values practiced by faculty and staff.”
The Martels’ contribution supports the continued transformation of HPU’s campus. The Martel Technology Sales Lab in Cottrell Hall, a state-of-the-art experiential facility that was funded entirely by gifts from parents of students, is named in their honor.
The Charles V. and Mildred P. Maultsby Endowed Scholarship has been established by a $50,000 gift from Charles and Mildred “Millie” Maultsby of High Point. The scholarship will support students who demonstrate financial need and can be renewed annually. First preference will be given to students from the Piedmont Triad.
Charlie and Millie first met as children at the Methodist Home for Children in Raleigh. They grew up in the home and became teenage sweethearts. Both went on to attend High Point College with the support of scholarships. Charlie had a successful career as a controller with Lilly Industrial Coatings (now Sherwin Williams), and Millie worked at a variety of financial institutions throughout her career. The couple have two children and three grandchildren. They live at Pennybyrn at Maryfield and attend Jamestown United Methodist Church.
“As a young man growing up in an orphanage, I never dreamed that I would be able to attend college,” said Charles Maultsby. “But because of the full-tuition scholarship given to me by High Point University, I was able to receive a college degree. Millie and I want to help future students attend HPU, just like someone helped us.”
The Daniel H. Herbert, Sr. Family Endowed Scholarship has been established by Christine Yackman, along with her daughter, Denise Pittenger, and son, Daniel Yackman. Through a $50,000 gift, the family wishes to support and encourage students who demonstrate financial need. The scholarship can be renewed for four years.
Christine Yackman is the mother of a current student at HPU and resides in Monmouth Junction, New Jersey.
“My father was a very giving man and a forward-thinker who embodied God, family and country,” she says. “His story is similar to HPU President Nido Qubein’s story in that my father grew up with very little, but he worked hard and demonstrated perseverance and intelligence. He became a pillar in his community and instilled in my family the values we hold dear today – the same values we see HPU instilling in its students. My family and I want to give someone the opportunity to attend college, which is an opportunity my father never had.”
The Ray W. Edwards Endowed Scholarship was established by Ray Edwards, former president of A Cleaner World, and his wife, Sallie, through a $50,000 gift. The scholarship will support students who demonstrate financial need.
Ray and Sallie Edwards moved to High Point in the late 1970s and knew that High Point College, as it was known then, had great potential.
“With HPU President Nido Qubein’s leadership, High Point University has truly become a shining light in the world of higher education,” says Ray Edwards. “We are honored to be a part of the transformation and look forward to being involved in HPU’s future.”
A Cleaner World, which is now the area’s largest dry cleaning operation, was founded in 1969 with its first location in High Point. The company grew rapidly to 23 locations within the next few years. In 1981, Edwards purchased A Cleaner World. Under Edwards’ leadership, the company opened locations in several new markets, expanding to Southwest Virginia, the Triangle area and parts of Western North Carolina, while solidifying its place in the Piedmont Triad.