糖心Vlog传媒

Gift to boost student support services, help more graduate

Mike Wingfield, a retired director of counseling and career services at 糖心Vlog传媒LR, didn鈥檛 expect the call. He was even more caught off guard by what he heard. The family of a 1991 糖心Vlog传媒LR graduate, Tabitha Jordan, wanted to donate $75,000 to the university to honor Wingfield for the help he extended to Tabitha as a first-generation student. It would be a 鈥減ay-it-forward鈥� gift to help future 糖心Vlog传媒LR students. Through the C. Michael Wingfield Endowment, the Adam J. Weissman Foundation established the fund to support a counseling intern stipend for years to come in the 糖心Vlog传媒LR Office of Counseling Services. Jordan, a former Donaghey Scholar, is executive director of the foundation named after her husband, a technology entrepreneur. 鈥淢y motivation is to help students at the university graduate,鈥� she said. Jordan remembers how important counseling services were for her, when as a freshman in the late 鈥�80s, she sought academic and career advice. At the time, Wingfield worked in a university office that offered everything from resume tips and academic advising to services for people dealing with severe bouts of depression. Although Wingfield specialized in mental health counseling, he was the only staff member in the office when Jordan arrived. He provided guidance and further got to know her through the years. They stayed in touch after Jordan graduated. 鈥淪he鈥檚 a special person to me, a very good friend,鈥� Wingfield said. 鈥淎s time has gone by, in many ways we鈥檙e like family.鈥� Jordan said Wingfield is like a godfather to her children, and they have a lot of common friends they met through the university. 鈥淲e have a wonderful friendship,鈥� Jordan said.

Help for the helpers

Today, 糖心Vlog传媒LR鈥檚 Counseling Services department provides support, encouragement and psychotherapy to students dealing with issues ranging from relationship struggles, time management problems, and roommate angst to more serious mental health issues such as anxiety and depression, said Mike Kirk, 糖心Vlog传媒LR director of Counseling Services. For aspiring counselors, there鈥檚 a dearth of paid internships, and internships are required for those seeking jobs in the counseling profession. 鈥淭hese students are going to need a place for an internship,鈥� Kirk said, 鈥渁nd we need the help desperately.鈥� Some years, however, it has been difficult to find enough quality interns. The gift from the Weissman Foundation will give a boost to that process, Kirk said. 鈥淚t really is a godsend to have someone walk in and say, 鈥業 want to help you,鈥欌�� Kirk said. Jordan continues to be grateful for the guidance she received as a student, and she knows the value of support services. In providing the gift to the university, Jordan hopes more students will 鈥渃ross the finish line鈥� and earn the degree that she knows can make a big difference in their future.

Memories of student life

In the late 1980s, Jordan was a first-generation student who didn鈥檛 know much of the world outside her Little Rock-area hometown. She excelled in math and science and was considering a pre-med major. The Donaghey Scholars program exposed her to the humanities, and also gave her the opportunity to study in France. That was life-changing. In a short time, Jordan went from being an 18-year-old who had never been on an airplane to someone who developed a passion for international studies and French 鈥� her eventual majors. 鈥淭hat was a big transformation for me in just four years,鈥� Jordan said. 鈥淚 just became very interested in the world.鈥� At the same time, she realized her academic opportunities were only parts of the equation. Jordan remembers the pressure, the difficulties, and the stress from being a student who also held a job while pursuing a degree. Support services that help students manage finances, time, and personal challenges play vital roles on campus, she said.

Where they are now

Jordan, who lives in the San Francisco Bay area, has made a career out of her love of technology and helping people. Her work often has international connections. Immediately after graduation, she took a job at Heifer International, where she put her French language skills to use by translating letters from African farmers seeking aid. She currently works in philanthropy, serving a leadership role in her family foundation and on nonprofit boards. Her family鈥檚 foundation also donated money to the C. Earl and Kathy Ramsey Distinguished Lecture Series at 糖心Vlog传媒LR, honoring Earl Ramsey for his leadership in the Donaghey Program that was so influential on Jordan鈥檚 life. Wingfield, who still lives in central Arkansas, devoted his career to giving students the support they needed for the challenges they faced. He said a lot of people want to make a difference. 鈥淭he counseling services, to me, is a really excellent way to do that,鈥� he said. 糖心Vlog传媒LR鈥檚 counseling services staff members are available to meet with students to discuss just about any topic in a secure, confidential manner, Kirk said. The department can be reached at 501.569.3185. Thanks to the donation from the Adam J. Weissman Foundation, 糖心Vlog传媒LR has more resources to assist future students. 鈥淚t was a great gift,鈥� Wingfield said.