A Generous Family United

The Schell family’s priorities guide their lives, and their philanthropy. This Hartwick legacy boasts six members: husband and wife Carl Schell ’76 and Sue Stone Schell ’76; sons Chris Schell ’10 and Eric Schell ’07; Eric’s wife, Ashley Kern Schell ’07; and Carl’s sister, Linda Schell Marks ’72.

Both Chris and Eric received scholarships to attend Hartwick and Sue and Carl have been returning the favor for years. The couple have created opportunities for other Hartwick students by supporting Hartwick’s mission in a variety of ways.

Their gifts to the Emerson International Internships reflect Sue’s interest in international experiences, which was fostered when she studied abroad three times: in San Salvador, England, and India. She believes it’s important to understand the world from a broad perspective and credits both her liberal arts foundation and her travel experiences for this view. “If you are too specialized, you are just seeing one piece of the world,” she observes.

The couple gives to the Karen “Crash” Olson ’76 Scholarship as a way to remember their classmate. It’s one way they express the value they place on “the close knit community feel at Hartwick that is conducive to building life-long friendships,” Sue says, thinking of College friendships that she cherishes to this day.

By supporting the Hartwick Fund with annual gifts, the Schells are ensuring that every Hartwick student, regardless of major or extracurricular interest, has an enriched college experience. Expanding on that need, both Carl and Sue have made unrestricted bequests to the College, giving College leaders flexibility in applying the funds to the area of greatest need when the time comes.

This family’s diverse interests and liberal arts education took each in his or her own direction. History major Sue is co-founder and a managing partner of Generations Planning Group, LLC, a financial planning firm in Albany. Sociology major Carl, who received an MPA from The Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy at SUNY Albany, recently retired from the New York State Department of Health, where he was the director of project management. Eric, a management major who earned an MPA from Northeastern University, now works for the Department of Veteran Affairs in Washington, D.C., as an analyst in national contract operations. History major Ashley worked in human resources for a technology company before choosing to stay home with their baby Teddy. And anthropology major Chris is the head brewer of Robin Hood Brewery in Bellefonte, Pennsylvania.

Like the Schell family, you can make a difference in students’ lives at Hartwick. To find out how, contact Patricia Dopazo at 607-431-4020 or dopazop@hartwick.edu.