Health Sciences Alum Helps Others Fulfill Dreams

What makes you who you are? When pondering this question, Mark Frankowski '84 and his wife, Cathy Meyer, decided that their churches and educational institutions shaped them into the people they are today. The process of answering this question prompted Mark and Cathy to leave a percentage of their estate to support Mark's alma mater, the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee.

"When we set up our family trust, our intention was to pass on part of our estate to institutions that were beneficial to us," Mark explains. "We strongly believe that the schools we attended enabled us to attain careers that provided us with fulfilling lives."

Mark pursued his bachelor's degree in occupational therapy at UWM's College of Health Sciences while working as a physical therapy assistant and nursing assistant at the Clement J. Zablocki Veterans' Administration Medical Center. He also completed a Master of Public Administration degree at UW-Parkside and a certificate in theology from Marquette University. Cathy was a music educator in the Racine Unified School District.

Mark and Cathy's gift will be used to create the Mark Allen Frankowski and Catherine Meyer Health Sciences Scholarship, an endowed fund for students in UWM's College of Health Sciences who are in good academic standing and demonstrate financial need.

"I was born into a working-class family, and my parents were not able to obtain higher education," he says. "Growing up, I never dreamt that I would attend a university. That is why Cathy and I are proud to include UWM's College of Health Sciences in our trust so that future students can have the opportunity to benefit from an education at this school."

If you would like to learn about ways you can support UWM students, like Mark and Cathy did, please contact Gretchen E. Miller, J.D. at gemiller@uwm.edu or (414) 229-3067.