Empowering Education Through Generations

Among Asbury’s oldest donors, an alumna, who requests to be anonymous, continues to annually give to Asbury after turning 100 years old this past July. She attended the University in the early 1940s with America entering World War II and coming off the Great Depression.

“Many of the boys left for the service, so Asbury almost resembled an only-girls school,” she said.

Switching from her undergraduate concentration of home economics and merchandising, she moved into teaching for six years of her post-grad life, spanning from English, library work and later her niche in home economics. After her parents passed, she and her five siblings founded the William R. & Willie P. Edwards Memorial Scholarship in honor of their parents.

“Momma and Daddy sent us, five students, to school during the war, so we thought giving to other students would be appropriate,” she said. “I appreciate Asbury more every day as I get older. The college was the perfect spot for a strong-willed girl ready to make tough decisions in her career and the world. Asbury has leaders who have done a wonderful job leading the college through these years of change and schools like Asbury are our only hope.”

Throughout the conversation, the alumna never failed to showcase her delight in being an Asburian: “I’m so proud to be a graduate of the class of 1944, and I might be the only member of that class left!”

Meanwhile, Asbury’s youngest givers, 10-year-olds Anna Whaley and Elliette Higdon, donated a tithe from their entrepreneurial business selling bracelets and beads.

“As a school project, we had to come up with a business, and Anna and I had the idea to make jewelry,” said Elliette. For their 4th grade enrichment class, the girls branded “Beadz n’ Bandz,” selling handmade items such as soap, jewelry, pencil toppers, hair clips and keychains. Once the business fair ended and the business practically sold out, both Anna and Elliette decided to donate the profits as a gift. Having ties to Asbury, both Anna’s and Elliette’s mothers, Jamie Corbitt ’04 Higdon and Leslie Adams ’94 Whaley, attended Asbury and instilled a respect and love for the University.

“We’ve both visited Asbury at least once and know it’s a good school,” said Elliette. “We decided to give some of our profits to student scholarships because we knew it would help their families and we were excited knowing we were helping families send their kids to Asbury.”

After extending their business branded “Adding a Bit More Sparkle to the World One Bead at a Time!” to social media, Anna and Elliette learned the importance of making product to sell ahead of time to keep up with sales in entrepreneurial endeavors. With a successful launch into the business arena, one prominent theme that stood out to the girls was giving.

“Being generous means using the gifts and talents God has given you to bless other people and draw them closer to God,” stated Elliette.