UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — As a student in Penn State's School of Hospitality Management, Gary Budge gained the organizational skills, sense of pragmatism and professional potential he would need to succeed in New York City's highly competitive hospitality industry. He also gained an early sense of the importance of philanthropy.
"I saw very clearly that a great deal of our success as a school was because of alumni who had given back," he said. "This ‘pay it forward' attitude was fundamental to the program."Over the past thirty years, Budge and his wife, Joanne, have stayed true to that spirit of generosity. Together, they have established numerous charitable gift annuities and a bequest to benefit the School of Hospitality Management. They have also given considerable time and talent as volunteers, working to enhance the hospitality management curriculum and encourage other Penn Staters to give back.Budge graduated from the School of Hospitality Management in 1972 with a bachelor of science degree in food service and housing administration. While Joanne is not an alumna herself, she has fully embraced the University community.