Paving the way for current and future Saints while honoring mom

Dave and Pat Smith's relationship with Saint Martin's University grew when their third daughter, Salma Mala, a young woman they met in a shelter home for trafficked children in Bangladesh, came to study at Saint Martin's. She graduated cum laude in 2019.

Dave was raised in Portland, Oregon, by a single mother of five. He came to Saint Martin's High School for his sophomore year and graduated in 1961. Looking back, Dave counts the men of Saint Martin's Abbey as his father figures and his years at Saint Martin's High School as transformational.

“We have supported Saint Martin's over the years, but wanted to create something more permanent to honor my mother as well as recognize the support both Mala and I received when we were students, she at the university and me while in high school. The Abbey’s matching gift was an incentive to establish a scholarship endowment now. Making this gift through our IRA was a win-win. It enabled us to direct a portion of our required minimum distribution (RMD), without it being considered taxable, and help provide an education to current and future Saints,” shared Dave.

Discover how you, like the Smiths, can support Saint Martin's University and impact current and future students. Contact Nate Peters, MBA at (360) 438-4367 or NPeters@stmartin.edu to learn more.