According to Kathy Suchy ʼ78, “It’s difficult to name a ‘favorite’ memory. However, spending all-nighters studying in Slocum Hall has to be at the top of the list.” She recalls having “a favorite seat…that always seemed to be waiting for me,” where she’d settle in with her books, class notes, a jar of pickles, and a few caffeinated drinks. Slocum was the perfect place to relax and study.
Attending OWU was a powerful experience in personal development for Kathy. “I was ‘on my own’ for the first time in my life, and going to college was a great opportunity to develop independence, responsibility, self-confidence, and integrity.” She credits her enthusiasm for learning to OWU’s personalized atmosphere and dedicated faculty members. “I recall once, in a statistics course with Dr. Harry Bahrick, that I struggled with something he covered in class. I went to see him during office hours and he went over the concept with me again, and again, and again. It may have taken an hour, but he found a way for me to finally grasp that concept. And once I had the ‘aha!’ moment, that stats class became easier for me (and dare I say it: more fun).” This experience embodies something she cherishes about OWU— “the passion that my professors had for what they were teaching,” which “infected me with the passion to learn and excel.”
Kathy’s passion for learning carried into her rewarding and varied career after Ohio Wesleyan, including as a singer/musician, mental health counselor, and, finally, as senior IT director at Texas Tech University. Over the 23 years Kathy spent at TTU, she managed a 10-person team that helped design and build the Rawls College of Business, an over 70 million dollar project. In 2017 she was granted the highest honor a TTU staff member can receive: the Chancellor’s Award of Excellence. Kathy credits OWU and her liberal arts foundation for setting her on the path to success in these fields.
This foundation has also aided the pursuit of Kathy’s retirement goal: buying a fifth-wheel camper and a dual rear-wheel truck. Kathy had never driven a truck before, nor had she ever towed anything—not even “a little red wagon.” She tackled this challenge head-on, spending the next year reading, studying websites, and taking online classes, as well as attending RV shows and consulting experts. In the process, her camper earned a unique name. Shares Kathy, “the customer service manager of the RV company in Indiana did me a personal favor and sent me pictures of my fifth wheel during construction. I was so grateful for this gesture that I asked him to share with me the first name, and nickname, of the woman he most loved on the earth. I wanted to name the fifth wheel after her. And so, my wonderful new fifth wheel’s name is …wait for it… T-Bone!”
Regarding her decision to give back to OWU through her current giving and a planned gift in her estate, Kathy says, “I not only want to support higher education, of which I’m a huge advocate, but I’m proud to support the premier liberal arts university that gave so much to me. If my donations can help other students meet their own personal and professional goals in some way, then I consider it a win-win!”