Mary Matthews-Stevens '84
Mary Mathews-Stevens and her husband Mark, a partner in venture capital firm Sequoia Capital, have been
active in education philanthropy with their support of numerous educational
organizations in
California including a previous
gift to
Santa Clara
in 2002. At that time, Mark and Mary donated $500,000 to endow a fellowship
program for graduates of Mary's high school in
Portland,
Oregon
who wish to attend SCU.
In a gesture to
honor the departing president of Santa Clara
University, Mary and Mark have most
recently donated $7 million for the Paul L. Locatelli, S.J. Student
Activity Center.
The new student center
was "a perfect project to support given my deep involvement with student
government, sports, and other student activities while I was an undergraduate
at SCU," said Mary.
The gift comes at a time
when the growing global economic crisis is beginning to affect U.S. colleges
and universities. Many institutions, in the face of negative endowment returns,
government budget cuts, and shrinking donations, have been forced to slash
budgets and delay capital improvement projects. "We see our donation as a
long-term investment in the quality of student life at Santa Clara. It is indeed fortunate that we
are able to support the mission of the University in these very turbulent
economic conditions," Mark explained.
Mary has served on SCU's
Board of Fellows since 2001. "Santa
Clara's soaring academic reputation and quality of
campus life are direct results of Father Locatelli's relentless adherence to
the Jesuit values of competence, conscience and compassion," said Mary.
Recalling her years at Santa Clara with fondness,
Mary says "It was a real stretch economically for my parents to send me
there. Along the way, I received a great education, had many great experiences,
and established many friendships that persist to this day. Mark and I feel so
blessed that we can help generations of future Broncos," she said.
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