Gifts
36,968
Donors
10,131
Gifts under
$25,000
$13,486,788
First-time Endowment
Donors
36
Support From Every State
Utah State received donations from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, and 28 counties within Utah. The highest totals came from Cache County with $16 million from about 3,000 donors, Salt Lake County with $13.1 million from more than 1,000 donors, and Davis County with $5.4 million from over 600 donors. Out-of-state donations were led by Kansas ($6.6 million), Montana ($6 million), and California ($3.3 million).
Showing Up to Serve: How Scholarships Are Helping Wyatt Nebeker Grow as an Agricultural Educator
For Wyatt Nebeker, a sophomore studying agricultural education in Utah State University’s S.J. & Jessie E. Quinney College of Agriculture and Natural Resources (QANR), scholarships helped make attending USU possible. Originally from Wyoming, Wyatt came to Utah State to prepare for a career teaching and mentoring the next generation of agricultural students.
Scholarship support has also given Wyatt the freedom to make the most of his time at Utah State. Alongside his coursework and a part-time job, he serves as a QANR ambassador, president of the Animal Science Club, and a Utah Pork Producer Ambassador. By easing the financial pressure of college, both endowed and expendable scholarships have allowed him to spend more time learning, serving, and building relationships.
“There are so many students worried about the cost of higher education,” Wyatt said. “Scholarships allow students to come here, stay here, and achieve their goals.”
Alumni Giving
Alumni Donors
4,619
Total Giving
$34,681,729
Connecting Communities: Louise Excell’s Gift to Utah Public Radio
For Louise Excell and her husband, David Pettit, Utah Public Radio has been a trusted source of news, education, and connection for decades. Living in Springdale, Louise remembers when access to public radio in southern Utah was limited. When Utah State University expanded UPR’s reach into the area, she made her first contribution to the university and has supported the station ever since.
Now, Louise and David are extending that support into the future through a planned gift to Utah Public Radio. Their gift will help sustain UPR’s programming, strengthen its statewide reach, and support the next generation of journalists educated through USU’s Department of Journalism and Communication. For the couple, the commitment reflects their belief in the importance of reliable information and UPR’s role in connecting communities across Utah.
“We hope it helps UPR continue to provide programming beyond northern Utah — and to educate young journalists who can go out into the world and report in a great way,” Louise said. “That’s what we hope will go on beyond our time.”
Interested in learning about all the different ways to make a planned gift to USU?
Visit https://www.usugiftlegacy.org
USU Faculty and Staff Giving
Faculty and Staff Donors
878
Total Giving
$629,550
Giving by Impact Area
Where Gratitude Meets Purpose: Janet Osborne’s Lifelong Commitment to Education and Empowerment
For more than four decades, Janet Osborne ’89 Ed.D. has supported education, opportunity, and community at Utah State University. An emeritus faculty member in sociology and former director of USU’s Women’s Center, Janet has carried that commitment into her philanthropy. Most recently, she and her daughter Lisa funded the Osborne Family Lactation Suite in the Mehdi Heravi Global Teaching and Learning Center, creating a welcoming space for nursing mothers on campus.
Janet’s family has also established the Stephanie Osborne Endowed Scholarship in memory of her late daughter, providing lasting support for students through USU’s Institute of Government and Politics. For Janet, scholarships and endowments represent an opportunity to ease financial pressure, help students focus on their education, and demonstrate that someone believes in their potential. Her giving reflects a lifelong conviction that investing in education strengthens both individuals and their communities.
“My whole point is that giving should be accessible to everyone,” Janet said. “It’s about setting an example. When people see that others care, they’re inspired to give too. And that’s how a community grows stronger.”
Giving By Year
Endowed Scholarships
New Scholarships
64
Student Recipients
3,152
Total
Awarded
$6,115,291
From Scholarship to Stewardship: Helen Simmons and Shauna LaBeau’s Circle of Giving
Since 1997, the Helen L. Simmons Endowment has supported students in Utah State University’s Emma Eccles Jones College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences. Established by Helen L. Simmons ’52 and her husband, John, the scholarship reflects Helen’s lifelong commitment to education and giving back to the university that helped shape her life.
Nearly a decade after the endowment was established, Shauna LaBeau received the Helen L. Simmons Scholarship as an undergraduate. The scholarship helped ease the financial pressure of college and gave Shauna more time to focus on her education and campus involvement. Inspired by meeting Helen and learning about her commitment to USU, Shauna promised herself that she would one day give back. Today, she contributes to the same endowment, using her employer’s matching program to extend the impact of her gifts and help provide opportunities for future Aggies.
“I wouldn’t be where I am without the support I received,” Shauna said. “This is my way of saying thank you and making sure other students have the same chance.”
Expendable Scholarships
New Scholarships
56
Student Recipients
3,586
Total
Awarded
$6,455,709
Elizabeth Leishman: Empowered to Teach, Inspired to Make a Difference
For Elizabeth Leishman, a senior studying secondary education with an emphasis in English, the Lonnie & Cheryl Smith Scholarship is providing critical support as she completes the final stage of her degree: student teaching. After working full-time throughout college, Elizabeth will need to step away from work during her student teaching experience. The scholarship is helping ease that financial pressure so she can focus fully on the classroom, make the most of the experience, and graduate debt-free.
That opportunity to focus is especially meaningful as Elizabeth prepares to teach in an inner-city school in Chicago. Inspired by her experiences growing up and seeing how unequal access to resources can affect students, she hopes to help her future students recognize the opportunities education can provide. The hands-on experience she has gained at USU, culminating in student teaching, is helping her build the skills and confidence to make that difference.
“Receiving this scholarship has reminded me that there are people who care about my success and want to see me thrive,” Elizabeth said. “I hope to honor that generosity every day in the classroom by inspiring my students to reach their full potential.”