I
hope your Thanksgiving holiday was filled with love, laughter, and
all of the things you are most grateful for. This morning I’d like to
share with you a story about gratitude and giving back—a story about
dear friends of Virginia Wesleyan College, Hiram and Hardenia Zigler.
The
Ziglers knew all about the advantages associated with a small-college
setting: they attended a small liberal arts institution, Bridgewater
College. But they weren’t introduced to Virginia Wesleyan until their
daughter, Nanci Zigler ’77, fell in love with the campus.
Nanci
attended summer art workshops for high school students at VWC. Several
of the workshops were taught by Barclay Sheaks, and she quickly decided
she wanted to continue studying art under his direction.
According
to Hardenia, a retired high school guidance counselor, Virginia
Wesleyan saw the potential in her only child and “provided the
individual faculty mentorship Nanci needed to become a successful art
teacher” at Mechanicsville Elementary in Hanover County, Virginia.
Hardenia
remembers one particular illustration of the special connection between
students and faculty and staff at Virginia Wesleyan. Around 1990, more
than a decade after Nanci had graduated, the Ziglers’ daughter had a
chance encounter with former College President Lambuth Clarke at a
restaurant in Richmond. When Nanci passed away in 1991 after a battle
with breast cancer, the Ziglers received a personal note of condolence
from Clarke in which he fondly remembered the restaurant meeting.
In
1994, the Ziglers sold a piece of property to create a scholarship in
Nanci’s name to benefit an art student at Virginia Wesleyan. They felt
it was the perfect way to pay tribute to their daughter and her passion.
To further honor their daughter’s memory and recognize the College that
made such a meaningful impact in their lives, Hiram and Hardenia
included Virginia Wesleyan College in their estate plans.
This
year, the Zigler estate gifted the College $332,000 to further endow the
Nanci Zigler Endowed Scholarship. The Ziglers’ thoughtfulness and
insight created a legacy that will continue to impact the lives of more
Virginia Wesleyan art students like Nanci.
A little planning
today can help provide a future for those you love or a cause you are
passionate about. If you’d like to have a confidential conversation
about making a legacy gift, please reach out to Lori L. McCarel ’94,
Executive Director of Annual Giving and Alumni Relations, at
757.233.8786 or lmccarel@vwc.edu.
