Ken Noller’s story is one of COMMUNITY. Showcasing impact that ripples across generations, Noller was a student whose life was changed by the generosity of donors and mentors. He then went on to change the lives of others through mentorship and philanthropy of his own.
Sound Bites
Headlines
- A boost of confidence from someone who’s been in their shoes
- A gift that ripples across generations
Hooks
- Two student teachers didn’t have enough money for gas to get to their teaching sites. Ken Noller did something about it with an endowed fund for new teachers who may fall into tough times.
- As a first-generation student, Ken Noller experienced firsthand the transformative power of a scholarship as an undergraduate student. Now, he’s paying it forward through mentorship and scholarships of his own.
- Ken Noller's life was transformed by the education that scholarships made available to him. This experience led him to establish an endowed scholarship and a mentorship network at UCR to champion students aspiring to work in education.
Quotes
- “UCR has a tradition of serving students like me, first in their family to go to college. And a lot of that would not happen without scholarships, and so that was an area that was easy for me to choose to work in given my background in education, and also what a scholarship meant to me.” Ken Noller, ’75, T.C. ’76, M.A. ’84
- “Ken Noller has been a champion for student success and clearing the path to develop more teachers for our communities. He truly pays it forward, and we are grateful for his continued support and partnership over the years.” - Louie Rodriguez, former Interim Dean of SOE
Narrative
Two student teachers didn’t have enough money for gas to get to their teaching sites. Ken Noller, a Riverside native and three-time UCR alumnus, decided to do something about it. He created an endowed fund for new teachers who may fall into tough times. A first-generation college graduate himself, Noller received a scholarship when pursuing his undergraduate degree in history at UCR that changed his life.
As Ken put it, “UCR has a tradition of serving students like me, first in their family to go to college. And a lot of that would not happen without scholarships, and so that was an area that was easy for me to choose to work in given my background in education, and also what a scholarship meant to me.”
After his long career as an educator, Noller continues to shape students' lives through philanthropy. He founded and launched the Graduate School of Education’s Alumni Mentor Network to support new teachers. As well as the Teacher Education Fund, which provides emergency support for student teachers. His extraordinary commitment to transformative support for students truly is bold and brilliant.
Strategy
Ken, a first-generation student deeply impacted by the support offered by the UCR community, is a shining example of the empowering academic community thriving at UCR across generations.
His story and quotes are best used in:
- Brochures
- Proposals
- Appeals – print, email, and digital
- Conversations
Suggestions:
- When building relationships with alumni with capacity to give, share Ken's story as an example of ways alumni can engage in ways meaningful to them.
- When discussing the lifetime impact of an education at UCR, and a donor’s capacity to create generational change, share Ken’s story.
- When showcasing how a gift to UCR goes further than it might at another university, share Ken's story
Resources
- Photos
- https://education.ucr.edu/news/2020/04/27/paying-it-forward
- https://education.ucr.edu/news/2020/05/01/celebrating-outstanding-teachers
Video
Ken speaks on his experience as a UCR student and why he was drawn to start an endowed fund.
- Full Interview with Ken here.
Usage Examples
