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Although they were born in the same month at the same hospital in Youngstown, Ohio, James C. “Jim” Schrum, ’74, and his wife, Cynthia J. “Cindi” Schrum, didn’t meet until they were both students at Austintown Fitch High School. They started dating in the late 1960s and have been together ever since.

Early in their relationship, Cindi invited Jim to accompany her to her grandparents’ 50th wedding anniversary party. That’s when he knew things were serious. After high school, Jim and Cindi attended separate universities and married in 1975, and they recently celebrated their own 50th wedding anniversary.

In 2011, these high school sweethearts each decided to make a generous planned gift to their college alma mater: the College of Communication and Information at ����ԭ�� and The Ohio State University medical technology program. Both gifts support student scholarships in the areas they studied, supporting those who wish to follow similar career paths. At ����ԭ��, they created the James C. and Cynthia J. Schrum Scholarship, which is awarded to students with financial need who show great potential in their area of study.

After consulting with their financial advisor, they later chose to make gifts to these funds to meet their IRA’s Required Minimum Distribution (RMD) and see the impact of their gifts during their lifetime.

“When you reach 73 years old, you are required to take the required minimum distribution every year,” Jim explained. “Most people need that money to live on, but we didn’t have kids and were frugal, so we began to think about using this as an opportunity to give back.”

Gifts through qualified charitable distribution (QCD) from an IRA can satisfy the RMD without counting as taxable income. These gifts can be made to support any fund at ����ԭ�� or to create a new fund that benefits programs and students, allowing donors to allocate those funds to the areas they are most passionate about.

“����ԭ�� provided the foundation for my future, and the training and scholarships I received really helped me,” Jim remembered. “It makes me feel good to be helping students. It’s inspiring to hear how we’ve helped them and learn about their hopes for the future.”

After taking part in Army ROTC at ����ԭ��, Jim spent five years in the U.S. Army and was promoted to the rank of captain. Before returning to the journalism field, Jim went back to school and completed a master’s degree in business administration from the University of Virginia. He went on to work at the Virginian-Pilot newspaper and the Greensboro News and Record. He gained a wealth of experience during his time in the media.

“Even though I was trained as a journalist, I worked in every department except the newsroom, including circulation, production, marketing, advertising and special projects,” Jim said.

Jim and Cindi have also made gifts to scholarships for military-connected students through the Center for Adult and Veteran Services.

“Volunteer service members who dedicate two to five years of their life to serve their country deserve recognition and help,” Jim explained. “It’s important to reach out and help people if you can.”

Over the years, he and Cindi have faced every obstacle that has come their way as a team, including Cindi’s 2017 diagnosis with a neurological disorder called primary progressive aphasia, a form of frontotemporal dementia that impacts a person’s ability to communicate. With the help of home healthcare, Jim has been able to keep Cindi at home.

“She is the love of my life,” Jim said. “We’ve always been very supportive of each other.”

Together, Jim and Cindi are making an impact where it matters most to them and are leaving a legacy by supporting future generations of ����ԭ�� students. 

To learn how you can make an impact and leave a legacy while supporting something you believe in, please contact us at giftplan@kent.edu or 330-672-1000, or visit www.kent.edu/planned-giving.