Gene Lynch
"Exeter took a chance on me and funded a high school experience and education I did not know existed or was possible, and for that I mentally balance the books by giving back with time and resources as I am able."
In my role as a General Alumni Association director and chair of The Exeter Fund Participation Committee, I’ve been given the opportunity to discuss a few thoughts on the importance of engagement with the Academy. Many of you will assume this is a subtle attempt to get you to open your wallets and support The Exeter Fund, but please bear with me and let’s see if it can be more than that.
When I think of my participation with the school, I approach it from the “Why?” and then the “How?” As a four-year scholarship student who was connected to Exeter as a result of my paperboy job in Chicago, I was one of those students that Hammy Bissell might say was “long on brains and short on cash.” Exeter took a chance on me and funded a high school experience and education I did not know existed or was possible, and for that I mentally balance the books by giving back with time and resources as I am able. As a class agent since 1979, I’m still working on it.
As for the “How?” the easy answer is to help the Academy by participating in The Exeter Fund. As I have been known to say to classmates, please give until it stops feeling good. There is so much more need than resources in this world, but a gift to Exeter, as an institution that embraces excellence, can be part of an annual philanthropic budget that also enhances the human condition. It is not an either/or proposition, in my opinion. But there are also many nonfinancial ways to engage with the Academy. Attending a local PEA event, for example, is an opportunity to renew and extend one’s network — something the younger classes seem to appreciate keenly.
Don’t forget those five-year reunions, which I generally question whether to go and then always return feeling uplifted and energized by the progress of the institution and the relationships and friendships I have been lucky to have developed over the decades. I also felt I engaged with the Academy while watching our smart-as-a-whip classmate Sam Buttrey ’79 win the first Professors Tournament on Jeopardy!, then reach the final of the show’s Tournament of Champions in November. Participation can be entertaining!
Finally, don’t underestimate how powerful a quick note to an influential Exeter teacher, coach or faculty member can be. After sharing my Exeter backstory with Principal Rawson over Leadership Weekend, he encouraged me to connect with his old pal and former Admissions Office colleague Lew Hitzrot ’60 to compare notes. Over a cup of coffee in the Elm Street Dining Hall a day and a half later, I was able to give Lew a glimpse of how a decision he made in 1975 had such a profound impact on my life. This type of connection with Exonians who had an important influence on one’s experience can be a rewarding form of engagement.
Participation and engagement are what you make of them. Someone advised me a few years ago to find more reasons to say yes when extended an invitation. Whether an annual donation, attendance at a local event or a “like” on an Exeter Instagram story, think of ways you can find to say yes to the opportunity to participate.
Editor's Note: This article first appeared in the winter 2023 issue of The Exeter Bulletin.
