The Art of Community

For Park University donor JW Rayhons, giving is an art that connects individuals to their communities.

A maxim from Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail” represents Rayhons’ approach to business and philanthropy: “Whatever affects one directly, affects all indirectly.”

That statement is a guiding principle for Rayhons Financial Solutions, the financial planning firm that Rayhons founded in Gilbert, Ariz. It is the same philosophy that led Rayhons to establish a scholarship for business students attending Park University’s Gilbert Campus.

“Investing in students is investing in our community’s future,” Rayhons said. “We identify students who have a high level of ambition and engagement but might not have the financial means to complete their education. Finding out that someone else wants to invest in you can have a deep and lasting impact.”

Rayhons knows this firsthand. As a high school graduate in rural Iowa, he received a scholarship from a fund established by a local resident. A college education would have been financially difficult without that support.

That initial investment in Rayhons’ education has paid dividends to the wider community. In his personal and professional life, Rayhons is committed to giving and serving. He volunteers for several youth organizations and has served on nonprofit boards including the Dignity Health Foundation, the Mesa (Ariz.) Arts Center and the Gilbert Chamber of Commerce. His team members at Rayhons Financial are similarly committed to service.

“We want our scholarship recipients and other students to see us as models of how you invest in your community,” Rayhons said.

The Rayhons Financial Annual Scholarship at Park University—Gilbert is awarded to four students each year. Rayhons’ support of Park extends beyond financial giving to helping the University explore possibilities for certified financial planning education in Gilbert.

“There’s so much opportunity for investment at Park’s Gilbert Campus,” Rayhons says. “It’s the newest member of the Park University family providing local and global impact.”

If you want to learn more about establishing a scholarship at Park, please contact Jenny Keane at 816-584-6846 or jenny.keane@park.edu.

This story was written as part of the 2021-2022 Impact Report