Part of Park’s Legacy

For Jeff Popovich, '92, estate giving made it possible to go all in for Park University.

"Park is part of my legacy," Jeff says. "I wanted to make sure that I'm part of Park's legacy as well."

At only 50, Jeff wasn't ready to put his current dollars out of reach. He found an opportunity to invest in Park's future by designating the university as a beneficiary of his retirement fund.

A portion of Jeff's gift will support Park University's Global Warrior Center. Located on the Parkville campus, the Global Warrior Center provides information and resources for service members and veterans transitioning in and out of the military. Jeff visited the Global Warrior Center on a recent campus tour. He witnessed a camaraderie among military students that reminded him of his student experience at Park's Fort Myer Campus Center in Virginia.

"When I joined the Navy, I didn't think I'd have an opportunity to go to college until leaving the military," Jeff says. Discovering that he could take classes on base, Jeff earned his associate and bachelor's degrees from Park while enlisted. He hopes his gift to the Global Warrior Center will help other service members realize the possibility of pursuing a college education.

The remainder of Jeff's gift will fund efforts to promote diversity and inclusion at Park.

"I don't care who you are, what color you are, what sex you are, what sexuality you are. I want people to bring their whole selves," says Jeff. In his post-military career in information technology, Jeff says he has worked in environments where people are encouraged to express their differences and others where they are not. "In places that practice diversity and inclusion, the synergy is amazing," he says.

This awareness led Jeff to co-found the organization LGBT Professionals in Transportation, which provides mentoring and networking opportunities for public transit professionals and advances diversity and inclusion within the industry.

"Anything I can do to work toward diversity, equity and inclusion for every human, I'm going to do it," Jeff says. "One of the things I like about Park is the diversity of our students and alumni, and I'll do what I can to make sure that diversity continues to be supported."

Like Jeff, you can invest in Park students' futures without giving up assets today by naming Park as a beneficiary in your will or other estate plan. To learn more, contact Jenny Keane at 816-584-6846 or jenny.keane@park.edu.

This story was written as part of the 2019-2020 Impact Report.