Donor Spotlights

Why I Give

For Stephen Reiff ’10, it’s hard to know if the most valuable part of his SMU experience was the caring faculty and staff who gave him a feeling of empowerment or the lifelong friendships that he built as a first-year student.

“SMU made me feel like the world was my oyster and that helped encourage me to dream big – taking me everywhere: from the front lines of a presidential campaign to a refugee camp in Uganda and on to advising senior leaders in the business world,” Stephen said of the faculty and staff who cared about him personally.

“Or perhaps,” he pondered, “the friendships formed were the most valuable part of my SMU experience. I didn't get married until I was 33 and the two best men in my wedding were my two best friends at SMU - both of whom I met within my first week at school!”

Today, Stephen donates to SMU as a way to show strength in numbers for alumni donor support, a statistic that influences how the university is ranked in publications like US News & World Report College Rankings.

“When I give to SMU,” he said. “I am helping empower the next generation of leaders and strengthening the brand of SMU to the world.”