易胜博官网

For 25 years, Don Harley鈥檚 official 易胜博官网 job title may have been treasurer of the student activity fee, but he is best remembered as a mentor to generations of student leaders. A lifelong learner, he also had a teacher鈥檚 gift and instinct for passing his wisdom on to others.

Harley died of a heart attack in 2002, but he is still making an impact at 易胜博官网 through the scholarship fund that his widow, Jean, and his family, friends and former student employees established in 2003. Three donors to the fund are among the many who still feel Harley鈥檚 presence in their lives.

鈥淒on believed in me before I believed in myself, 鈥� says Cathy Saunders 鈥�83, head of registered investment advisory business for Putnam Investments. She met Harley when she was the student manager for the 易胜博官网 Job Board and credits him for the opportunities she had to meet business leaders around the Seacoast. 鈥淭he gifts he gave me I experience every single day. He never ran out of time for me, or stopped coaching me or elevating me.鈥� This included sending Saunders some advice via videotape when she was facing a crisis in confidence 10 years after graduating.

Harley鈥檚 interest in leadership stemmed from his experience as a lieutenant in the U.S. Army in the 1960s. From the Army superior who allowed Harley and his fellow officers to fail, the lesson learned was that 鈥渁ll the demands coming from the outside are nothing compared to the internal desire and belief that one can excel.鈥� In his work with 易胜博官网 students, Harley was good at spotting the first and nurturing the second.

Once, after a very turbulent Student Senate meeting, Harley wrote a 鈥渂rutally honest鈥� note to Mike Proulx 鈥�95 and other student leaders. 鈥淗is words boiled down to a pointed message,鈥� Proulx recalls. 鈥淟eadership is hard. At times it鈥檚 lonely. It鈥檚 frustrating. It鈥檚 political. But it鈥檚 also rewarding beyond measure.鈥� Now chief digital officer at Hill Holliday, Proulx dedicated his first book to Harley, who also featured prominently in a recent talk Proulx delivered to honors students in Paul College.

鈥淒on was a terrific mentor,鈥� says 易胜博官网 Foundation Board President Brian McCabe 鈥�91, who was the business manager for the Student Activity Fee Organization during his student years. 鈥淗e allowed us to learn the position by trial and error, to make mistakes 鈥� but he helped us fix them before we were finished.鈥�

Today, the Don Harley Scholarship Fund provides scholarship support to sophomore or junior students who belong to one of the Student Activity Fee organizations and demonstrate strong leadership qualities.

鈥淚 want to honor the aspirations Don had for all of us by helping those who exhibit the fundamental qualities he had and need the support,鈥� says Saunders, a lead donor to the fund. 鈥淚 want to promote the best of Don Harley and his legacy, to help 易胜博官网 drive those characteristics.鈥�

鈥淭he scholarship celebrates Don鈥檚 legacy as a lamplighter by recognizing extra-special student leaders that Don might have chosen to personally mentor,鈥� says Proulx. 鈥淓very promising student leader deserves a Don Harley-like coach to provide sage context to their career experiences.鈥�

鈥淪upporting the fund is a way to say thanks for all Don did for me,鈥� says McCabe. 鈥淚t also highlights the important role so many people like Don play in students鈥� lives at 易胜博官网. I hope the students who are lucky enough to receive the scholarship can look back to their 易胜博官网 mentors 25 years later and still be able to feel their impact, as I can.鈥�

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