Lifelong Love of Reading Leads to Legacy Left at ODU

There is an age-old quote that says, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” But ever since she was a child, the burning question inside Vickie Eckert was, “What if you teach him to read?”

Like many Old Dominion University alumni from the ‘70s, Vickie grew up in Norfolk and was the first in her family to attend college. From an early age, Vickie loved reading and was fascinated by stories that took her on all sorts of amazing adventures. She spent much of her time reading and began teaching others to read … starting with her stuffed animals.

By a stroke of luck, Vickie was taught by two amazing teachers at the Norfolk Technical Center: Charles and Diann Holt. They could see Vickie’s passion to help others and encouraged her to go on to college. They even assisted her with testing and applying to ODU.

Once enrolled, Vickie studied what she loved—teaching—and she went on to graduate from ODU’s Darden College of Education and Professional Studies with a bachelor of science degree in secondary education. Throughout college she remained close to the Holts and they continued coaching Vickie by making job recommendations and introductions to professional organizations.

Following graduation, Vickie became active on the ODU Alumni Association Board and held various positions. Being on campus so often may have influenced her to continue her education and she soon earned her master’s in business administration in information technology with a concentration in financial services. And, as fate would have it, that became a springboard into an exciting career in the banking industry.

Even in this new environment, Vickie remained a teacher at heart, and she began using her free time as an adult literacy instructor using the Laubach Reading Method. Vickie’s passion for literacy expanded when she began working with Social Services, local business, and individuals to teach the life-changing skill of reading. This also included teaching business courses at the Norfolk Technical Center and Tidewater Community College.

Vickie’s career took her to Atlanta, where she helped merge multiple banks into what would later become Bank of America. It was there that she met Carl Eckert, a Penn State alumnus, who would later become her husband. A few years later, they left Bank of America and utilized their skills as technology trailblazers at CheckFree Corporation.

After long and fulling careers, Vickie and Carl retired to The Villages in Florida. The move prompted them to review their estate plans, and they soon realized they had a life insurance policy they no longer needed. After talking with the Gift Planning Department at ODU, they learned they could use the policy to fund an endowment to support graduate students in literacy. Their gift will help these students attend professional conferences where they can present research, gain knowledge and build contacts.

“We’re very excited about the impact our gift to ODU and the Darden School of Education and Professional Studies will make on future teachers and the advancement of literacy,” Vickie said.

You, too, can make a lasting impact on future ODU students by leaving a gift in your estate plan. To learn how to create a scholarship or to discuss other giving options, please 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.