Mother and Daughter Join Forces with Planned Gift

FIU Honors College Dean Lesley Northup and daughter, Evan, made a joint planned gift of $250,000 to support the Honors College—the largest planned gift in the college’s history.

Unique Investment in FIU Honors College Sets Precedent

The mother-daughter duo of FIU Honors College Dean Lesley and Evan Northup is one the entire FIU family can be proud of. Their history with the university, which they both call their "home," is rich and full of defining moments.

One of those moments was when they recently made a joint planned gift of $250,000 to support the Honors College-the largest planned gift in the college's history.

"My mother and I wanted to give a joint gift to show our commitment to FIU because we believe so wholeheartedly in this university. We've been part of this community for more than 20 years, and it has both shaped our lives and given us friends, opportunities and priceless education," says Evan, head of public relations and communications and assistant director for marketing at FIU's Miami Beach Urban Studios of the College of Architecture + The Arts.

"I hope this gift will lead the way for others to give to the Honors College," Dean Northup adds. "I also hope more of our alums will consider planned giving. It is an excellent option, especially for younger folks, who can give a lot with a very reasonable investment."

Ultimately, Dean Northup would like her gift to become the impetus that propels the Honors College to its next horizon.

"My hope is that one day every Honors student will have at least one educational experience abroad...that out-of-state and international students will be able to afford to come to our Honors College...that every Honors student will have the opportunity to live in Honors campus housing...that every Honors student will be guaranteed an internship. We need money to help make those things a reality," she says.

Evan agrees, adding that, "as a state university, donor involvement is crucial to help our entire university community continue to evolve into one of the preeminent institutions in the nation."

Taking It to the Next Level

For Dean Northup, who often says she has the best job in the world, her daughter is her biggest advocate.

"I've watched as my mother has tirelessly worked to help FIU grow and become a nationally recognized institution, and I'm so incredibly proud of her career and journey at FIU. I have never seen anyone care more about students and the opportunities that she and the Honors College try to provide for them," Evan says.

Evan has made it her personal mission to take FIU to the next level since she began working at the university in April 2013.

Aside from being an FIU administrative employee, Evan's involvement with the university also includes teaching an introductory course to Honors College freshmen and serving as chair of Homecoming 2014. A current adviser of Smart Girls Group, FIU Chapter, she has also taken graduate courses in liberal studies at FIU and even attended the first FIU tailgate in history as a young girl.

Evan, who practically grew up on FIU's campus, may not have realized that she'd one day be even more connected to the FIU family through her relationship with her mother.

Dean Northup came to FIU as an assistant professor in 1993 and was one of the founding members of the Department of Religious Studies. In 2003, she began teaching in the Honors College and fell in love with its innovative pedagogy and eager students. During her tenure, she became the longest-serving interim dean in FIU history before she was appointed as permanent dean in 2011.

Her leadership at FIU ranges from serving on the Faculty Senate Steering Committee, the FIU Athletics Council, the Access and Equity Committee, and the board of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching to giving invocations and benedictions, teaching First Year Experience courses, and spearheading student grievance hearings. As a result, she earned a Faculty Senate Excellence in Service award and two Excellence in Teaching awards.

So, it seemed only natural for the mother and daughter to invest in the institution that has been such an integral part of their lives.

"My mother and I wanted to show that anyone can give back to their community-that dedication, involvement and commitment drive our personal experiences at FIU and that any gift, large or small, makes a difference," Evan says.

One of the main reasons the Northup family gives to FIU: opportunity in education.

"Education is, more than anything, opportunity. It is the chance to learn, meet new people, discover yourself and forge your own path in life," Evan says.

Dean Northup agrees: "The gift of an education is truly the gift that keeps on giving-not just to the student, but to the community."

Create Your Legacy

Join Dean Lesley and Evan Northup in investing in the future of FIU by making a planned gift to the University. Contact us to get started.