James D. "J.D." Klaka, a 1998 Penn State computer science and engineering alumnus, has committed $50,000 to endow a Trustee Scholarship for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering.
A senior test lead for Microsoft, Klaka said giving to the department was important to him because he knows firsthand how much of a difference a scholarship can make in a student’s life.
"In my junior year, I received the Chris Mader Memorial Scholarship," he recalled. "Before that, I was working more than 30 hours a week to make ends meet. I still had to work after receiving the scholarship, but it allowed me to worry less about how I would pay for school and focus more on the future. If I didn't have that scholarship, I wouldn't have interviewed with Microsoft and be where I am today."
Last year, the Connellsville native decided to explore different endowment opportunities at Penn State.
"The Trustee Matching Scholarship program seemed easy," he said. "And since I knew Microsoft would be matching my gift, I definitely wanted to do something."
To qualify for the Trustee Matching Scholarship program, a pledge must total at least $50,000. Penn State makes approximately five percent of the pledge -- equal to the average annual income from an endowment -- available for scholarships immediately after the commitment is signed. As soon as gifts are received, the spendable income is combined with the University's match, in perpetuity. Trustee Matching Scholarships are the only type of endowment at the University that generates immediate income once the commitment is signed, even prior to being fully funded.
Klaka, who now resides in Duvall, Wash., doesn't get back to campus very often. Nonetheless, he said he is determined to give back.
"The Chris Mader Scholarship had a remarkable effect on me," he noted. "I want to have that same effect on students who receive my scholarship."