How To Turn $50 A Month Into $170,000

When James Thurnes, '07, '12, filled out his college application, he didn't know he was going to make a lifetime commitment to his alma mater. But James has become one of the youngest alumni in Averett's history to join the 1859 Legacy Society.

James came to Averett as a freshman from Newport News in 2003 and completed his bachelor's degree in 2007. As a member of the Honors Program, student-athlete in football, and active participant in other clubs and organizations, James was very involved in student life. So much so, that he met his future wife, Michelle, on campus and, after graduating, decided to stay on and work full-time as the University's campus guest coordinator. Still, James wanted to be more involved and decided he would pursue a second Averett degree through the Graduate and Professional Studies Program. He completed his MBA with honors in 2012.

After such allegiance, what was next? James' work with students and parents visiting Averett exposed him to many of the challenges faced by families looking to finance their son's or daughter's education. He wanted to give back.

Through Averett's planned giving program, James, age 27, was able to structure a life insurance policy, with premiums of $50 a month which ? when realized ? will benefit the University $170,000. "It was really important to me to be able to make a meaningful gift to the University," said Thurnes. "But I was at the beginning of my career, and we didn't have a lot of disposable income." "I decided how much I felt I could afford monthly, and my policy was based on that."

"I am continually amazed by the generosity of Averett alumni and friends," said Buddy Rawley, Vice President for Institutional Advancement. "While there are those, like James, who notify us of their intentions to leave a planned gift to the University, there are also many who do not." "It is only when these donors' estates are settled, that the University learns of their tremendous generosity." Whether these unanticipated gifts are $1,000 or $100,000, they are in many ways like "manna from heaven" for the University and greatly appreciated, according to Rawley.

Naturally, some planned gift donors designate how their gifts should be used, but often their gifts are unrestricted which allows the University to seize new opportunities at the time the gift is received that may never have been imagined by the donor. These gifts combined with others help ensure Averett is sustainable far into the future for James' children and grandchildren.

"It's weird to think of leaving a legacy in my twenties," James says, "but I like feeling that what I'm doing makes a difference and will live on."