When Hazen and Kathy Graves toured Augsburg with their son, Sam Graves 鈥�16, they immediately felt they had found the right place. 鈥淲e were totally impressed,鈥� says Hazen, a retired partner at the Faegre Baker Daniels law firm, where he advised nonprofit organizations and handled legal matters related to charities and charitable giving. 鈥淛ust walking through the campus, we found students very respectful, friendly, and eager to engage.鈥�
They also found that Augsburg offered the unique assistance Sam needed as a young man with cerebral palsy who uses a power wheelchair. 鈥淎s we learned more about the support Augsburg offers to students with various kinds of challenges, we came to understand that Augsburg had been doing this for a long time, long before ADA,鈥� says Hazen. 鈥淭he University鈥檚 attitude鈥攖hat鈥檚 the way the world is, here we all are, let鈥檚 get on with it鈥攃ame through loud and clear, and it was reinforced as Sam went through four years there,鈥� he adds.
Education is a high priority for the Graves family. Sam had a very good experience at Minneapolis South High School, where he excelled in academics and played in South鈥檚 robust adapted athletics program. After graduation, however, the choices were more difficult.
鈥淪am is very bright and has always done well in school. One of our goals was to make sure he could really capitalize on that,鈥� says Hazen. He and his wife, Kathy, a principal in the communications and planning firm of Parenteau Graves, quickly learned that not every higher education institution was able to鈥攐r even seemingly wanted to鈥搒erve students with physical disabilities.
A tour of Augsburg was all it took. Sam agreed with his parents鈥� assessment and enrolled in 2012. He graduated with a degree in psychology in 2016. Now 26, Sam manages social media and creates digital content for the Minneapolis-based technology company Accessible360. He fondly recalls Augsburg鈥檚 CLASS program as well as his favorite teachers, Michael Lansing, Bill Green and especially his advisor, psychology professor Bridget Robinson-Riegler. 鈥淪he was really fun and really, really smart. Plus she talked about the Twins a lot,鈥� Sam says. An ardent sports fan, he is the co-author of the baseball blog 鈥淭wo Men On.鈥�
Sam鈥檚 parents applaud Augsburg鈥檚 鈥済reat services, great students, great faculty, and great accommodations made for those with disabilities. And they appeared happy to provide them,鈥� Hazen says. 鈥淲e had the overarching feeling that Augsburg embraced differences and made sure everyone has an opportunity to get a good education.鈥�
The idea of supporting Augsburg financially occurred to both Hazen and Kathy independently, and they decided to donate $50,000 to endow a scholarship. 鈥淭his is the most open community that I鈥檝e experienced anywhere, with the possible exception of South High, and it鈥檚 pretty clear that this attitude permeates the place,鈥� adds Hazen. 鈥淎ccess to higher education is a big issue, and we鈥檙e just doing our little part.鈥�