The Helen Beck Student Emergency Fund was initiated in 2008 to assist students who faced unforeseen difficulties that could prohibit them from earning an education from Western Michigan University. Faculty and alumni invested in the fund with the goal of creating a true endowment to help students and honor Helen, a beloved member of the School of Social Work and College of Health and Human Services family.
Helen served as the Student Services Director for the School of Social Work from 2000 to 2010 before transitioning to her current role as Director of the Learning Resource Center in the College of Health and Human Services. In 2012 she received the Outstanding Customer Service Award for her exemplary fulfillment of the college's eight customer service goals. The many nominations and letters of support she received cited her positive impact on all College of Health and Human Services constituents—particularly students—who benefit from her highly professional service, welcoming and helpful smile, and genuine joy for what she does.
Wrote one nominator, "Helen Beck is a stellar example of what makes this college and University great. She is truly a role model and has become a living benchmark which all of us should strive to meet."
Another student wrote, “I am a 2004 graduate of the School of Social Work who came from West Africa Liberia in 2001 to attend WMU. During my 3 ½ years at WMU, Helen played a significant role in helping me to assimilate comfortably into the College’s culture and the system at large. She played a major role in helping me deal with the cultural shock and the stress of leaving my family in a war torn Liberia that was gradually recovering from a 14 year civil war.”
Please consider making a gift to the Helen Beck Student Emergency Fund to honor Helen and help current students.
From Helen BEck
I have been both fortunate and grateful to have worked closely with faculty, staff and students at WMU who collectively form a remarkably diverse group of individuals. I have been privileged to watch faculty cultivate an environment where students are motivated in the classroom that extends to life beyond campus.
I am thankful I have the opportunity to meet students from all walks of life and cultures whose immensely diverse personalities take education seriously; students who touch the lives of each other and stimulate an atmosphere of success.
I continue to be honored, grateful, and sincerely humbled by the gift of this endowment that creates Emergency Funds for Students who would otherwise leave school without some assistance. To put the “emergency funds” in perspective I am reminded of the student who dropped out of school for a semester. I learned the student “had a choice to pay for tuition or use the money for chemotherapy”. There are students who leave school because they have no place to live. These are serious students who benefit from this endowment.
It is with genuine gratefulness that I say thank you for your contribution that will assist a student stay in school. Because of your kindness and generosity we can, indeed, help each other and touch the lives of students. Again, thank you.
Helen J. Beck