When we think of a person鈥檚聽legacy, we tend to think of something left behind 鈥� a posthumous work or achievement, a bequest to a loved one.聽For John 鈥�91MBA and Cynthia Chamberlin 鈥�95 鈥�98MBA, they didn鈥檛 want to think about their legacy in the past tense; they wanted to build one they could see in their lifetime.
The UCF alums recently donated two gifts that will provide scholarships to nontraditional students in the : an estate gift, which is a gift of property聽that UCF will receive through the Chamberlins鈥� estate, and a cash gift. The cash gift will establish the John E. and Cynthia A. Chamberlin Scholarship Fund and the estate gift will endow the fund in perpetuity.
While the estate gift will support future generations of students, the cash gift will have an immediate impact, providing 鈥渁 wonderful opportunity for us to meet the incredible minds we鈥檙e investing in,鈥� Cynthia says.
Cynthia knows a thing or two about being a nontraditional student. Shortly after graduating high school, she moved to New York City and worked as a live-in nanny and at various other part-time jobs for several years.
When she moved back to her home state of Florida, she didn鈥檛 find her dream job, but she did find love, and the person who would become her biggest supporter. John, a former helicopter pilot in the U.S. Army, was finishing聽his MBA at UCF when he met Cynthia. The two soon became聽engaged. But as they were saving for their wedding, Cynthia was laid off from her administrative job.鈥�疪ather than cancel the wedding, John had an idea.
He said to Cynthia, who was then in her mid-30s: 鈥淲hat if we don鈥檛 get married right away? We can live together, I鈥檒l pay all your expenses, and you can go back to school. Then, after you graduate, we will get married.鈥�
Cynthia thought this was a smart plan and enrolled at Valencia College to earn her associate degree. Next came UCF. Inherently a hard worker, she eagerly signed up for 60 credit hours her first semester, until she realized that was prohibited by the college.
鈥淢y student advisor and I compromised on 18 credit hours per semester,鈥� she says, smiling.
Cynthia finished her bachelor鈥檚 in marketing聽quickly, earning top grades along the way. At graduation, John pointed to a group of people wearing a special kind of regalia. He asked Cynthia if she knew who they were. She didn鈥檛. He explained those were people who went on to earn a master鈥檚 degree. Smiling at her affectionately, he said, 鈥淭he deal stands. If you want to go for it, we鈥檒l get married after you graduate.鈥�
Cynthia accepted his offer and pursued an MBA.
At her next graduation, John pointed out another group of people who he said had earned their doctoral degrees.
鈥淚 told him, 鈥楴o!鈥欌�� Cynthia says, with a laugh. 鈥淵ou are marrying me!鈥�
John鈥檚 support of Cynthia wasn鈥檛 merely a kind gesture or an act of fiscal responsibility; he saw what her mind, combined with a steadfast drive, was capable of, and he wanted her to see that for herself 鈥� to pursue goals she never thought possible.
Now, Cynthia and John want to help others realize their full potential, starting with opening doors for nontraditional students pursuing STEM careers. The Chamberlins see these individuals as the unseen trailblazers 鈥� the innovators and changemakers 鈥� who will shape the future.
鈥淲hen you step into an elevator, you don鈥檛 think about the engineer who designed it,鈥� John says. 鈥淏ut we rely on these people every day. They鈥檙e not recognized, but they鈥檙e essential to society.鈥�
John鈥檚 exposure to the world of science goes back to his childhood. His father had a doctorate in biology from Harvard University and worked with the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries in Washington, D.C. 鈥� contributing to numerous studies and technical reports on marine wildlife and climatological conditions.
鈥淚t was a biology lesson every time we聽walked聽outside,鈥� says John, who often identified birds, examined various rocks and studied聽clam fossils with his father.
His dad鈥檚 love of science also rubbed off on John鈥檚 brothers: His older brother has a doctorate in entomology and his younger brother is a marine technology professor at the New England Institute of Technology.
In 1982, John earned a Bachelor of Science in Aeronautical Studies聽from Embry Riddle Aeronautical University and has had a nearly four-decade-long career specializing in safety,聽identifying and mitigating workplace hazards to promote safe environments.聽For nearly seven years, he worked with the shuttle program at the Kennedy Space Center 鈥� even presenting at the SpaceOps conference in Heidelberg, Germany, in 2008 鈥� and is now a safety specialist with Siemens Gamesa.
Cynthia鈥檚 long career in pharmaceutical sales sparked her interest in the sciences. Working聽in the medical industry, she enjoyed learning about the field鈥檚 ever-evolving innovations and discoveries 鈥� new devices and research that could allay or cure diseases. Though the job could be demanding, her drive and curiosity to learn enabled her success.
Now retired, she is just as interested in learning new trends and developments in the STEM fields.聽Recently, she attended the UCF鈥檚 Women Supporting Science event, organized by the College of Sciences, at the Exolith Lab, a UCF-based lab where students help develop and produce lunar and asteroid regolith (soil) simulants used by researchers across the world.
鈥淚 was in awe of these women,鈥� she says. 鈥淵ou just knew you were in the presence of brilliance.鈥�
At the event, she talked to students who were mothers, students working multiple jobs and聽students who were both. Touched by their stories, she wanted to do something to support their education while relieving their financial burden.
鈥淚鈥檇 love to see the students who maybe didn鈥檛 have all the resources growing up be able to achieve their potential,鈥� she says, 鈥渁nd for economics not to be the reason why they couldn鈥檛.鈥�
UCF is Florida鈥檚聽premier university聽for engineering and technology and one of the nation鈥檚 largest producers of engineering and computer science talent. With the Chamberlins鈥� scholarship fund, the College of Sciences聽can extend more life-changing opportunities to aspiring students who will transform the modern world 鈥� such as discovering innovative solutions for space travel or pushing the frontier on groundbreaking technologies.
鈥淭he real heroes are the women going for STEM,鈥� says Cynthia, who is involved in several women鈥檚 organizations at UCF, including as a board member for Town and Gown as well as the Women鈥檚 Club, where she is also chair of the Meetings and Planning Committee.聽She recognizes the 鈥渋ncredible brain power鈥� of these women, and with access to a good education, they can unleash their boundless curiosity and advance STEM fields across multiple industries 鈥� while making inroads for other women and underrepresented groups.
鈥淲hat a contribution to the world that becomes,鈥� Cynthia says.
The John E. and Cynthia A. Chamberlin Scholarship Fund is, essentially, an extension of Cynthia鈥檚 experience as a nontraditional student. Though it wasn鈥檛 always easy going back to school and being surrounded by people younger than her, she did it anyway, doggedly pursuing her ambitions. Now, she gets to share that experience with other students while giving them the encouragement and financial resources to achieve their educational goals.
鈥淚t would be an awesome opportunity to meet the students this scholarship will help,鈥� she says. 鈥淚 know I wouldn鈥檛 be here without John helping me.鈥�
