$1M+ in Gifts to Support Student-Athletes
Funds From Kubasik Family, M Club Earmarked for Career Services, Gossett Hall
The Gossett Hall expansion funded by one of two new gifts to Maryland Athletics includes new locker rooms, a weight room and a medical support area along with the coming M Club Study Lounge (below).
Photo and rendering courtesy of Maryland Athletics
Two gifts totaling more than $1 million from longtime supporters of Maryland Athletics and the M Club will benefit student-athlete development at the University of Maryland.
A $550,000 commitment from the Kubasik family, donors to Maryland Athletics for more than 20 years, will establish the Kubasik First Impact Program to help sophomore student-athletes personalize their future career choices and subsequent degree program selection.
“Later, these same students can benefit from the career transition services available through the Gossett Fellows program. These complimentary programs distinguish Maryland Athletics’ dedication to student success in their sport, in their classrooms and in their future careers,” said Jane Kubasik ’84, founder and chair of the board at the nonprofit 114th Partnership. Her husband, Chris Kubasik ’83, is vice chair and chief executive officer of L3Harris Technologies and a former member of the University of Maryland Foundation Board of Trustees.
Scholarships for student-athletes, funded in part by donations from Terrapin Club members, provide access to athletics and academic experiences, but few student-athletes take advantage of career development services for a variety of reasons. Sophomore students, especially those from families new to the college experience, are vulnerable and at risk for low career satisfaction and employability without the proper support.
A $500,000 gift from the M Club, the Terrapins’ alum group of former letter winners, is helping to fund the move and facility renovations at the newly renovated Gossett Hall. The gift includes funding for the future M Club Study Lounge for all student-athletes at Gossett Hall (formerly Gossett Team House), home to Maryland Football before the program moved to Jones-Hill House this summer.
The plan is for all staff members of the academic advising and development programs to merge into one location in Gossett Hall. Many staff members will move from Xfinity Center to join staffers already housed in Gossett.
“The commitment to student-athlete development and the student-athlete experience by our supporters is tremendous,” said Maryland Athletic Director Damon Evans. “These two gifts are difference-makers as we prepare our Terrapins for life after college and life after athletics. We are grateful to the Kubasik family and the M Club for their generosity in making a direct and immediate impact on our student-athletes.”
A lead gift in 2018 from Terp and trustee Barry and Mary Gossett has been the cornerstone of Maryland’s current student-athlete development program. The comprehensive program, the Barry and Mary Gossett Center for Academic and Personal Excellence, seeks to assist in career readiness, leadership education and identity development, in concert with traditional academic advising.
Topics:
Schools & Departments: