Industrial Engineering Alum Establishes Scholarships in IME Department
For Kevin Schindler (Industrial Engineering, ‘73), Learn by Doing began long before he arrived at Cal Poly.
“My family was always involved in the construction trades," said Schindler, “so doing things with your hands felt natural. It's one of the reasons why I went to Cal Poly.”
After a long and successful career that included leadership roles at companies across the country, Schindler is now happily retired and living in northeast Pennsylvania to be closer to his children and grandchildren. Today, he and his wife Vickie are giving back to his alma mater, which he credits as helping him jumpstart his success.
“I just feel really good about giving back,” he said. “Cal Poly made a great difference in my life, opened up a lot of doors, and allowed me to do a lot of things professionally.”
The couple has actively supported Cal Poly with annual donations over the years, regularly sending in small gifts when they could.
“We would get a phone call at Christmas asking for a donation, and so we would write a small check,” he recalled. “When we would get the Cal Poly magazine with the section about giving, we would also give a little, but nothing of any significance.”
About five years ago, while updating their estate plan, they decided to deepen their commitment to Cal Poly so they could see the direct impact of their philanthropy. Today, they support six scholarships in the Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering (IME) department: three annual merit-based scholarships of $1,000 and three annual need-based scholarships of $4,000. Over time, they plan to fully endow the scholarships so they will continue supporting students in perpetuity. Twelve students have already benefited from their generosity, and the Schindlers have returned to campus twice to meet several scholarship recipients.
“That was really spectacular — just the joy, enthusiasm and personalities of the six students we met that day," Schindler said. “We got a nice tour of the department, and the changes that have happened are just tremendous.”
A native of San Bruno, California, Schindler remembers an active and engaging student experience at Cal Poly. He was the first president of the Cal Poly Chapter of Alpha Pi Mu, the Industrial Engineering Honor Society, and was treasurer of Tau Beta Pi, the Engineering Honor Society. He was also the chair of the Industrial Engineering Department’s Poly Royal Committee and was the student representative to the College of Engineering’s Dean’s Advisory Council. He was awarded the 1973 Outstanding Engineering Student of the Year and had nine job offers upon graduation. Those positive experiences have stayed with him and continue to inspire his support for today’s students.
In addition to scholarships, the Schindlers have supported the IME Student Research Experience and IME Senior Projects. They also plan to establish an endowment for the Industrial Engineering Department’s priorities through both annual giving and a planned gift on their IRA beneficiary designation.
By sharing their story, Schindler hopes to inspire and encourage others to give back to the university and consider including Cal Poly in their estate legacy philanthropy.
“Give some thought to where your financial assets are going to go, and it'll go wherever you specify, or you can give now and see the impact of your donations,” he said. “To meet those students was really inspiring, and you walk away feeling really, really good about what you're doing.”
