A University of Georgia School of Law graduate and his wife have made an additional pledge to support law students with spouses and/or families.
The John and Becky Douglas Family Student Support Fund was initially created in 2019 to honor the support the Douglases received when John was enrolled at the School of Law.
“We established the fund as a direct result of our experience at the law school,” John, a 1977 graduate, said. “When I started, I had recently married, my wife was pregnant with our first child and if it hadn’t been for the support we received through the Woodruff Scholarship, I simply would not have been able to afford law school. Families, particularly those with young children, face incredible pressures to balance school, family and other obligations. Finances are a constant worry. It seems the least we can do is to provide some modest financial support that makes that journey a bit easier and less stressful.”
The Douglases have led extraordinary lives. Becky is an accomplished violinist, having played in various symphony orchestras and given concerts around the country, and is the founder of Rising Star Outreach, a charity focused on addressing the needs of leprosy-affected individuals in India. John is the chief legal, risk and compliance officer for TIAA, a Fortune 75 company providing retirement solutions for the employees of educational, healthcare and other nonprofit organizations. They are parents of 10 children.
“I am grateful to John and Becky for making an investment in the current – and future successes – of law students who are trying to balance fulfilling their dreams while supporting their families,” Dean Peter B. “Bo” Rutledge said. “Perhaps third-year student Paul Hotchkiss, the inaugural recipient of this fund, put it best in a letter he wrote to the Douglases: ‘The realization of my educational dreams would not have been achievable without your generous support.’”
“This additional investment is an example of the incredible connection our community has with one another as well as an illustration of true leadership and service by John and Becky. I simply cannot thank them enough,” Rutledge added.