Sue Cotton Smith Endowed Scholarship into Engineering Old Dominion University

Believing that ODU is her family, Sue Cotton Smith, office manager in the Civil Engineering Department, felt compelled to establish a scholarship. A 30-year employee at ODU, Smith has seen the importance of reaching out to others in times of need. She has allowed students to live at her house during hard times and has even hired students to do odd jobs when they needed extra money. Other times, it was she who needed a helping hand and who found that her colleagues were there to offer their support and talent. Her experiences inspired her to establish the Sue Cotton Smith Endowed Scholarship for a student majoring in civil engineering. Believing that “the more you give, the more you get back,” she hopes that she can motivate others to give. Putting her words into action, she has also donated a substantial gift to support the Solar Decathlon project and has included the university in her estate plans.

The employees at ODU see the influence of their giving every day. The motivated students, the new buildings and the collegial environment keep them believing in what they do. No matter what the level of support, ODU’s impact is clearly a good return on investment because of the strong campus community putting these gifts to good work.

For more information contact Barbara M. Henley, CFRE at 757/683-6563 or bhenley@odu.edu or Brett A. Smiley, CFRE at 757-683-4735 or bsmiley@odu.edu.