Jody (Stambaugh) Garvey was drawn to Ohio Wesleyan’s strong reputation, and the fact that it wasn’t far from her hometown of Pittsburgh. OWU also offered the major she wanted to pursue, child development (unlike Denison). She fondly remembers studying at the old wooden tables in Slocum Hall and taking “anything that Libby Reed taught. She was a fantastic professor!”
Outside of the classroom, Jody was active in the Delta Gamma sorority and Panhellenic Council. She served as a dormitory assistant, worked at the nearby preschool, and gave admission tours. After graduating, Jody worked in OWU’s Annual Giving Office for a few years, then focused on starting her family. When her sons went to preschool, she went right along with them, rekindling her love for teaching and directing.
Jody and her husband, Kevin, are proud of their sons, Matt ʼ07 and David ʼ11, who are also Ohio Wesleyan alumni. Jody says they “were not only given a good education but also great leadership experiences that transferred into mature, well-rounded young men.” Her advice for incoming students: “Don’t decide on a major too soon. Try classes out of your comfort zone. Take advantage of special programs and study travel.”
Jody says that naming OWU as a beneficiary of the couple’s IRA “was the easiest way to make a planned gift. We received a form from Morgan Stanley and filled it out. We didn’t need to change our will and were advised that upon our death, an IRA is heavily taxed, so best to give it to charity. The Garveys have included Ohio Wesleyan in their estate planning because “my experiences and education at OWU, along with my sons’ education, contributed to who we are as successful adults. This is a way to ‘pay it forward’ to benefit future students.”